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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quotation dates: 1900

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BILLGATE, n. Intimation to go; dismissal ticket. See Billy, n.2 [′bɪlgɪt Kcb.]Kcb.4 c.1900:
I gaed hame yestreen, geyly ower the stick, an' kickit up the Deil's delicht, sae I gat my billgate this morning.

[O.Sc. billiet, billȝett comes from Fr. billet, a ticket. Phs. Yett may have suggested Gate, a road, because of confusion between Sc. Yett, a gate, and gate used in Eng. sense. A genuine Sc. comb. would be gate-bill, road ticket. See note to Bilget, n.1]

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"Billgate n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/billgate>

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