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.
Quotation dates: 1908, 1972
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YIP, n. 1. A cheeky, pert person, usually applied to a child who is insolent and forward, an imp (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; e.Lth., Rxb. 1974).Hdg. 1908 J. Lumsden Th' Loudons 151:
Whae'er it contreeved He's nae yip o' the mune!Rxb. 1972 Hawick News (7 Jan.):
'Yip' seems just to give an additional sting to the lash-out at the impertinent boy or girl.
2. A sharp, capable, tiny woman (Lnk., Rxb. 1921 T.S.D.C.); a shrew (Bwk. 1921 T.S.D.C.).
[Prob., as Watson suggests, a s.Sc. form of Eng. ape, esp. in sense 1., but phs. thought of as imit. in sense 2., as an altered form of Yap, n.1 See Y, letter, 2.(2).]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Yip n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 16 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/yip>
