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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

WEEGLE, v., n. Also waigle, weeggle (Sc. 1808 Jam.), pa.t. weeglit, and redupl. forms weegle-wag(gle) (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 208). Sc. forms and usages of Eng. wiggle.

I. v. 1. As in Eng., to move to and fro from side to side, to wave something around, to wriggle (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 208).Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry 17:
She weeglit her wing-wavin' shoon.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin xiv.:
I warselled, an' weegled, an' kickit, an' flang.

2. To waddle, to walk with an exaggerated swaying or tottering gait (Gregor).

II. n. As in Eng., a wriggle, wriggling motion, the act of waggling or waddling (Sc. 1825 Jam.).Peb. 1860 W. Watt Poems 88:
A weegle in her walk had Kate Darymple.Edb. 1915 T. W. Paterson Auld Saws 114:
Gin he but saw the weegle-wag O' ony wagtail's tail.

III. Derivs. and combs.: (1) weeg(g)lie, adj., (i) waggling, unstable; (ii) having a wriggling motion in walking (Sc. 1808 Jam.), also weegl(i)e-wagglie (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 208), weegly-waggly; (2) weegler, n., one who waddles (Sc. 1825 Jam.); (3) weegltie-waggltie (Gregor), wigglety-wagglety, weegaldie-wag(g)aldie (Ork. 1920), adj., very unstable, tottery, unsteady, also used adv. (Gregor; ne., m. and s.Sc. 1973).(1) Rxb. 1924 Kelso Chronicle (25 July) 2:
Row, who had a tremendous weegly-waggly walk — his body all out of gear.(3) wm.Sc. 1832 Laird of Logan (1868) 310:
Like a bad rider that gangs wigglety-wagglety.Abd. 1890 Mod. Sc. Poets (Edwards) XIII. 93:
Its axle was booed sae 'at this gart a wheel Gyang wigglety wagglety roon like an eel.Ork. 1904 Dennison Sketches 21:
Dey wad gang weegaldie wagaldie fae side tae side, like builwans i' a breeze.