Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

HURLIE, int., n.² Also hurl(e)y; hirlie (Gall. 1930 H. Maxwell Gall. Place Names 157).

I. int. A call to a cow to come to be milked (Dmf. 1894 Trans. Dmf. & Gall. Antiq. Soc. 149; Ayr.⁴ 1928; Gall., Dmf. 1957).Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 257:
And ay she cries, “Hurly Hawkie, “String, string awa hame to the milking loan, “Hurly, Hurly, Hawky.”Kcb. 1894 Crockett Lilac Sunbonnet xviii.:
Without Meg at the gate of the field to cry: “Hurley, Hurley, hie awa' hame!”sm.Sc. 1922 R. W. Mackenna Flower o' the Heather xxii.:
She went out to call the cows. Her sweet voice thrilled the silent air: “Hurley, hurley.”Ayr. 1945 B. Fergusson Lowland Soldier 56:
The lasses gang to fetch the kye And “Hurly, hurly, hurly!” cry.

Comb.: hurlie-hornie, a children's game of “tig” (see quot.).Dmf. 1957:
The game of “Hurly-Hornie” as we used to play it came to my mind. Two or three joined hands and tried to tig the rest. Each one when caught took his place in the band. If the band should be broken when one was tigged he was still free to run on.

II. n. Transf.: a cow (Kcb.¹ 1929).