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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.

TREETLE, v., n. Also trittle; tritel, trytel. [tritl; Abd. + trəitl]

I. v. 1. To trickle, fall in drops or in a slender stream (I.Sc., ne.Sc. 1973). Also fig. Vbl.n. treetlan, the motion or noise of trickling (Id.).Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 197:
The wattir wiz treetlin' doon the face o' the craig.Abd. 1963 J. C. Milne Poems 71:
I heard the larkies singin, And ilka burnie treetlin doon.Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 87:
Wi a gryte yark o his hurdies an a skelp o his flippers, Zeffirino brakk frae the sea tae fob; his braith-pipe peepit oot an awa flang the pucklie draps fit hid treetled inno his mask; bit the loon's heid aye bedd aneth the watter.

2. To walk with short steps, to trot (ne.Sc. 1973), to tag along reluctantly or doggedly after another (Abd. 1930).Bnff. 1920 J. Mitchell Jeannie Lowrie 11:
Nae mair she'll treetle but an' ben aboot the Royal Oak.Abd. 1929 J. Alexander Mains & Hilly 162:
Ye come trytlin' in at the hinner-eyn o' ony big job.Gall. 1935:
He had seen a sick sheep coming over the ridge at the high end of Ferrach Bae Meadow, “trittlin' an' fa'in', th-e-e-n gettin' up an' trittlin' on.”Abd. 1952 Ballads (Gsw. Ball. Club) V. 58:
Treetlin' wi' water an' aess an' peats, Aye a pail in 'er han'.Abd. 1969 Buchan Observer (9 Sept.) 7:
So up the road they trytled.Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 7:
Ane bi ane they'd deserted Davie ...
They'd treetled efter the incomer, Graham Reid, like he wis Sunty Claus in trainers.

3. By extension, with at: to work in a feeble unskilful manner, to potter (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 197). Vbl.n., ppl.adj. treetlan, -in (Id.).

II. n. 1. A very small quantity of any liquid, a trickle (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 197, Bnff. 1973).

2. The act of doing work in a weak unskilful manner (Gregor); a person weak and unskilful at work (Id.).

III. adv. In drops (Id.).