Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1928
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QUIRL, n. Variant of Eng. curl. Cf. quid pa.t. of Can v.1 and variant of Cood n.2 and Quint. Used fig. in quot. = a trick, catch (‡Abd. 1967). Adj. quirlichie, curly, twisted, tangled.Abd.15 1928:
I some thocht there wis a bit quirl in't. It's aa quirlichie an snorlt.
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"Quirl n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/quirl_n>
