Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

FARLE, n. Curly flakes; anything curly and fluttering, e.g. wisps of cloth, clouds (e.Dmf. 1900).s.Sc. 1926 “H. M'Diarmid” Drunk Man 44:
The leafs like farles hing, As roond a hopeless sacrifice Earth draws its barren ring.s.Sc. 1927 “H. M'Diarmid” in Scots Mag. (April) 10:
Her een sae close to his made his tail-end views o' the snow and the sky like farles o' soot.