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.
Quotation dates: 1866
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GIRTLE, n., v. [′dʒɪ̢rtəl]
I. n. A small quantity of anything, esp. of liquids, a driblet. Dims. girtlie, girtlick(ie), augmentative girtloch (Gregor).Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 63–64:
She got bit a girtle o' milk fae the coo, tho' she dribbit till hir fingers wiz sair.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 64:
He jist gets his bits o' bawbees in girtles.
II. v. 1. To pour out in small quantities. With up: to splash up in driblets; with oot our: to spill in driblets (Ib.).Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 64:
Hir father cam in on 'ir, an' got hir girtlin' ale oot ae bottle intil anither.
2. To "potter" with liquids, to work with them in an ineffectual way.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 64:
She wiz girtlin' and brewin' ale. She wiz girtlin' an' tryin' t' milk the kai.
3. "To use constantly as an article of food, followed by at and wee" (Ib.).
[Dim. form of jirt s.v. Chirt.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Girtle n., v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 7 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/girtle>
