Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1818-1832
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SHILLY-SHALLY, adj. Sc. usage: wishy-washy, lacking vigour or strength, weak, of poor quality, lit. and fig. Only in Hogg.Slk. 1818 Hogg B. of Bodsbeck xvi.:
Like yon bits o' gillflirts about Edinburgh: poor shilly-shally milk an' water things!Slk. 1832 Hogg Autobiog. (1874) 156:
Pestering us wi' daft shilly-shally sangs.
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"Shilly-shally adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 18 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/shillyshally>
