Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1844, 1897-1935
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CLEY, Cly, n. and v. Sc. forms of Eng. clay. [klei Sc.; Ayr., Lnl. + klaɪ, Abd., Fif., Slg., Arg., Kcb. + kləi]
I. n.wm.Sc. 1897 H. Hendry Burns from Heaven 37:
Till e'en the Session are as cley, And he the pottar!Lnk. 1923 in G. Rae Langsyne in Braefoot iii.:
An' noo thae weans are men Plooin the cley-bund rigs o' hame Within this peacefu' glen.Dwn. 1844 R. Huddleston Poems and Songs 15:
The work on forderin', went the jokin', The aul' cly hallun shook wi' la'ghin'.
II. v. intr. with up: to fall silent, to shut up, freq. in imper. Gen.Sc. slang. Cf. Clay, v.Gsw. 1935 Sc. One Act Plays (Reid) 83:
For Jamie Johnstone's sake cley up.
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"Cley n., v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 8 Feb 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/cley>
