Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
¶GILLIE WHEESEL, -IL, n.comb. Also killie-wheesh. A gipsy pick-pocket.Sc. 1818 Blackwood's Mag. (Feb.) 526:
Tam Gordon, captain of a numerous band of ‘gillie wheesils' (signifying in the west of Fife, the lads who take the purses).Ib. (April) 15:
His band of young gypsies, called the ‘gillie-wheesels' and sometimes the ‘killie-wheesh', attended most of the fairs.
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Gillie Wheesel n. comb.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 20 Apr 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/gillie_wheesel>
