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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

‡TEETLE, n. Also †tettle; †tittle (Gall. 1732 Session Bk. Penninghame (1933) II. 193, Ayr. 1822 H. Ainslie Pilgrimage 162). Sc. forms and usages of Eng. title (Ayr. 1822 Galt Sir A. Wylie xc.; Sc. 1826 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) I. 247; Ags. 1853 W. Blair Aberbrothock 60; Abd. 1879 G. MacDonald Sir Gibbie xxxvi.). Ppl.adj. teetl't (Abd. 1880 W. Robbie Glendornie xiii.), tittled, titled (Edb. 1812 P. Forbes Poems 114). [titl. See P.L.D. § 45.]

Sc. form of Eng. title.Sc. 1994 Pete Fortune in James Robertson A Tongue in Yer Heid 153:
We wur doon the Quarter Gill public hoose (or ti gie it its stuippit new-fangled teetle, The Gryphon)

Sc. usages:

1. The title-deeds to land or property. Rare and obs. in Eng.Ayr. 1823 Galt Entail xviii.:
I hae brought the teetles o' the property in my pouch.Ags. 1853 W. Blair Aberbrothock 60:
The fouk was nae that partikler aboot richts an' teetles o' hooses.Ork. 1915 Old-Lore Misc. VIII. i. 43:
Naethin wad deu nor save da puir bothy fae bean hung bit tae gae ower da tettles o 'is hoose.

2. A nickname used to distinguish families in a small locality having the same surname. Cf. Tae, adv., 2.(14).Nai. 1892 Trans. Inv. Scientif. Soc. IV. 169:
Amongst the fisher population, the name of Main is so common that the different families are distinguished by tee names or teetles. One of these teetles is Cope.Nai. 1927 G. Bain Dauvid Main 71:
There's saxteen Donald Mains in the fishertown o' Nairn. Dae ye no ken his teetle?

3. In nonce reduced form tit (from tittle): the title (of a book).Lth. 1899 J. Lumsden Edb. Poems 91:
These dune, an' shawn in printed tits, Thou sune turn'd into penny bits.