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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SPLORE, n., v.¹ Also sploar, sploor. Dims. splorie, splorey (Abd. 1916 G. Abel Wylins 39) and nonce form splorum (Bwk. 1863 A. Steel Poems 227). [′splo(ə)r]

I. n. 1. (1) A revel, jollification, party, spree, freq. associated with drinking (Per., Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1915–26 Wilson). Gen.Sc. Also fig. Phrs. on the splore, on the spree, to raise a splore, to get together for a carousal.Ayr. 1786 Burns On a Sc. Bard ii.:
Lament him a' ye rantin core Wha dearly like a random-splore.e.Lth. a.1801 R. Gall Poems (1819) 108:
The squads o' chiels that lo'ed a splore On winter e'enings.Ayr. 1818 J. Kennedy Poet. Wks. 98:
Neist time they fa' on the splore, an' be heucked in wi' drink.Sc. 1824 Scott Redgauntlet Letter xi.:
He never comes to sic splores himsell.Abd. 1824 G. Smith Douglas 24:
Cry in about our frien's to raise a splore, An' fill the best brose bicker to the bore.Sc. 1842 D. Vedder Poems 120:
A drinkin' horn to had the splore.Gall. c.1870 Bards Gall. (Harper 1889) 151:
Dark winter nichts, wi' sugh an' roar, On them they ha'e their yearly splore.Abd. 1900 J. Milne Poems 42:
An' Hallowe'en to younker folks A sploar, I think, unmatch'd by ony.Edb. 1915 T. W. Paterson Auld Saws 74:
Keep him dinkit oot in fluffles, Like a peacock on the splore.Dmb. 1931 A. J. Cronin Hatter's Castle iii. ii.:
Lights in all the windows! A fine splore o' illumination.m.Sc. 1979 Ian Bowman in Joy Hendry Chapman 23-4 (1985) 41:
I'll blouter their nebs on the clean close wa'
an' gie them a taste o' heid the ba',
I'll gar them swidder tae chap ma door
when ma bristly besom dings their splore.

(2) A frolic, game, sporting match.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 269:
Good players must always finish the splore.Lnk. 1844 J. Lemon St Mungo 50:
The noisy glee at skailin' time, Tigtow an' ither splores.

2. A controversy, argument, quarrel; a to-do' hubbub, turmoil, stir, state of excitement or commotion.Ayr. 1785 Burns Holy Willie xiii.:
An' when we chasten'd him therefore, Thou kens how he bred sic a splore.Sc. 1817 Scott Rob Roy xxxv.:
The splore about the surrendering your papers.Slk. 1817 Hogg Tales (1874) 150:
They're nae the waur o' a wee bit splore.Ayr. 1826 Galt Last of Lairds viii.:
Jock came running in a splore o' wonder.Edb. 1869 J. Smith Poems 2:
Whaur claverin' wives, an' yelpin' weans, Hae rais'd an unco splore.Dmf. 1871 J. Palmer Poems 22:
What awfu' splores took place, Amang their auld forbears.Sh. 1877 G. Stewart Fireside Tales 69:
Da baste jumped up wi' sic a splore, dat he twisted da blade o' da tullie oot o' da shaft.Lnk. 1902 A. Wardrop Hamely Sk. 26:
The splore o' 1843 [the Disruption].Bwk. 1947 W. L. Ferguson Makar's Medley 14:
Wha [Helen of Troy] gaed aff wi' some shepherd loon, Settin' the Greeks a' in a splore.Abd. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick xv.:
Gin there be ony splore a-dyaan, Jock's aye attlin' tae be i' the thick o't.Uls. 1987 Sam Hanna Bell Across the Narrow Sea 88:
The clamour growing ever louder in their ears, they rode ... until they were forced to draw rein on the verge of the throng clustered before Rushin Coatie's lodging-house. With his back to the door, swinging a musket, stood the cottar who had accused the old woman of witchcraft.
Neil sprang from his horse. He took a man by the elbow.
'What's the meaning of this splore?'

3. An exploit, prank, escapade (Ork., n. and m.Sc. 1971).Sc. 1827 Scott Journal (24 Feb.):
Meadowbank taxed me with the novels, and to end that farce at once I pleaded guilty, so that splore is ended.Kcb. 1890 A. J. Armstrong Musings 41:
Jock cracked o' hens, an' cocks, an' doos, An' mony a poachin' splore.Per. 1895 R. Ford Tayside Songs 182:
Country splores, Like stappin' lums, an' rackin' doors.Edb. 1915 T. W. Paterson Auld Saws 101:
Fidgin to oot-date their neibours In a huntin splore.Abd. 1923 J. R. Imray Village Roupie 34:
Bungin' divots doon their lums, An' ither sic like splores.Ork. 1929 Peace's Ork. Almanac 140:
Hard du da sploor aboot Pegs o' Vean's chickens?

II. v. 1. intr. To frolic, rollick, make merry (Ags., Lth., Slg., Lnk., Rxb. 1971); to riot. Hence splorer, a merry maker, roisterer. Ppl.adj., vbl.n. sploring, roistering, wild (in) behaviour.Kcd. 1796 J. Burness Thrummy Cap (1887) 11:
Nor steal nor lie, nor drink, nor splore.Lnk. 1833 Whigs of Scot. I. ii.:
Yer roaring splorers in the houffs.Rnf. 1862 A. McGilvray Poems 333:
Sploring, and boring, and roaring.Sc. 1893 Stevenson Catriona xv.:
A wild, sploring lad in his young days.Ayr. 1897 McLatchie Poems 166:
To daff the day and spend their groats And see the fun and sploring.Lnk. 1922 T. S. Cairncross Scot at Hame 68:
Where the big fish splash and splore.

2. With about, o, or absol.: to show off (Cld. 1825 Jam.), to boast, brag (Lnk. 1971). Ppl.adj. sploring, boastful, swaggering.Lnk. 1836 J. Struthers Poet. Wks. (1850) II. 98:
Where is he, sploring Geordie Paterson?Dmb. 1844 W. Cross Disruption xi.:
Stiffriggs splores awa' aboot the Kirk o' Scotland, as if there ne'er had been sutch a Kirk in the worl'.Ayr. 1870 J. K. Hunter Life Studies 283:
He's a great han' for splorin' about his punctuality in ordinary transactions.Edb. 1895 J. Tweeddale Moff 55:
Ye'll splore away, and glorify him for biggin the kirk ower-by.Ayr. 1901 G. Douglas Green Shutters xiii.:
To keep everything dark till the proper time comes for sploring o't.Dmb. 1931 A. J. Cronin Hatter's Castle iii. ii.:
He was aye splorin' about his far back connection wi' the Wintons.