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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

TRAICLE, n.1 Also traecle, traikle, traycle; treckle, trek(k)le; treycle, triacle, trical, trikle, tryacle, try(c)kle. Sc. forms and usages of Eng. treacle (Lnk. a.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 14, trykle; Mry. 1806 J. Cock Simple Strains 19; Sc. 1823 Scott St Ronan's Well ii., tryacle; Bnff. 1827 Aberdeen Star 313, trical; Edb. 1886 R. F. Hardy Within a Mile ix., trekkle; Sh. 1906 T. P. Ollason Spindrift 132, traecle, Per., Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1915–26 Wilson; Abd. 1941 Abd. Univ. Review (Spring) 93, traycle; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein, trycle; Rxb. 1954 Hawick News (18 June) 7, trycle). [n. and m.Sc. trekl; em.Sc. + trɛkl; s.Sc. trɑekl; ne., Bwk. + trəikl]

1. As in Eng., of uncrystallised liquid sugar, but in Sc. often indiscriminately applied to any stage of refinement in the product, molasses, treacle or syrup. In Sc. usu. refers to black treacle, molasses, but also to golden syrup (traicle Cai., Bnff., Fif., Edb.; treckle Sh., Ork., Ags.; trycle Abd. 2000s). Sc. combs. and phrs.: (1) a flee amo' triacle, said of someone in a helpless or impossible position; (2) as happy as a bleck amang traicle, as happy as a sandman, extremely happy (Abd. 1972); (3) black traicle, molasses (n., wm.Sc., Gall. 1972); (4) traicle ale, -yill, light ale brewed from treacle, water and yeast, treacle-beer (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., -yill; ne.Sc., Per., wm. and sm.Sc. 1972); (5) traicle and breid, an oatcake spread with syrup (Abd. 1972); (6) traicle bannie, a scone made with treacle as an ingredient. See Bannock; (7) traicle-bendy, = (4) (Fif. c.1850 Peattie MS.; Lnk., Slk. 1972). See Bend, n.1, Bendy, n.2; (8) traicle-bun, a bun made with treacle (ne., m., s.Sc. 1972); (9) traicle drink, = (4); a drink of molasses and water given to cows (Per. 1972); gruel made with treacle (Id.); (10) traicle Geordie, a plain gingerbread (Dmf. 1972). See Geordie, 5. (1); (11) traicle gundy, candy or toffee made from treacle (n., m.Sc. 1972); (12) traicle month, jocularly, a honeymoon (Edb. 1882 J. Smith Canty Jock 87); (13) traicle peerie, = (4) (Fif. c.1850 Peattie MS.; Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 272; em.Sc. (a), s.Sc. 1972). See also Peer, n.1, 1.; (14) traicle-piece, an oatcake, slice of bread or scone spread with treacle (Sh., Ork., ne.Sc., Ags., Per. 1972); (15) traicle pig, a treacle jar (n.Sc. 1972). See Pig, n.2; (16) traicle row, a baker's roll spread with syrup (Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 272); (17) traicle scone, a scone baked with a mixture of flour, etc., and treacle, a scone covered with treacle; see 1993 quot. Gen.Sc.; (18) traicle-squeef, -squiff, = (4) (Rxb. 1923 Wilson W.-B.); (19) traicle-stick, a stick of treacle toffee or candy. Also in n.Eng. dial.; (20) traicle-swats, a drink made from treacle and water (Ags. 1972). See Swats; (21) traicle-tramper, a contemptuous name for a grocer (Abd.15 1930); (22) traicle-wheech, -wheef, -whiff, -wheuch, = (4) (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., 1942 Zai, whiff; Bwk. 1972). Also in Nhb. dial. Cf. Wheich, n.1, and penny wheep s.v. Penny, n., 4. (40).(1) Abd. 1882 G. MacDonald Castle Warlock xxix.:
Aye they wad hae wark — an' cud du nae mair nor a flee amo' triacle!
(2) Abd. 1928 N. Shepherd Quarry Wood xvi.:
As happy's a blake amon' traicle fan they're cairdin' honest fowk.
(4) Per. 1801 in P. R. Drummond Bygone Days (1879) 448:
Barley-bread and treacle ale.
Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 44:
The barm from “bragwort” and “trikleyill” is useless.
s.Sc. 1840 Tait's Mag. (Dec.) 786:
I've some tryacle yill o' my ain brewin'.
Sc. 1891 R. Ford Thistledown 232:
To take ‘treacle ale' to his porridge.
Kcb. 1901 R. Trotter Gall. Gossip 44:
A took the toom bottle awa tae pit treycle yill inta.
(6) Sc. 1929 Sc. Readings (Paterson) 71:
I'll hae a trekle bannie for Sunday.
(7) Sc. c.1925 R. Thomas Sandie McWhustler's Waddin' 139:
A bottle of beer — or was it jist treacle-bendy?
(8) Dmf. 1920 J. L. Waugh Heroes 108:
I aye bakit a girdle o' roon currant-scones, a trekkle bun, an' an aipple-cake.
(9) Fif. 1886 A. Stewart Reminisc. Dunfermline 102:
The “small beer” above referred to was commonly known as treacle drink, which was much used by working-men at what formed the almost universal breakfast meal in those days.
(11) Bnff. 1923 Banffshire Jnl. (24 July) 2:
Sweeties, trycle gundy, green berries.
Abd. 1962 H. Diack Boy in a Village 111:
A display of treacle gundy, chewing gum.
(13) Fif. 1894 A. S. Robertson Provost 110:
Sellin' treacle-peerie an' sma' beer.
Clc. 1966 Stat. Acc.3 560:
Till about fifty years ago, ‘treacle peerie', made with treacle and yeast, served as an innocuous local beverage.
(14) m.Lth. 1857 Misty Morning 150:
You'll tak a ‘treckle-piece' tae.
Wgt. 1877 “Saxon” Gall. Gossip 211:
The next treacle-piece I got.
(15) Abd. 1968 Buchan Observer (20 Aug.) 2:
A cup o' tay; the traickle pig; a sheave o' baker's breed.
(17) m.Lth. 1870 J. Lauder Warblings 81:
Better wi' a treacle scone.
Abd. 1928 J. Baxter A' Ae 'Oo' 3:
An' noo the loonies, Can see a canny vict'ry won — As weel's a traikle scone!
Rnf. 1993 History on your Doorstep, The Reminiscences of the Ferguslie Elderly Forum 37:
At Hallowe'en you dooked for apples and tried to take a bite of a treacle scone hanging down from the ceiling.
Lnk. 1997 Duncan Glen Seventeen Poems 6:
Or jeelie pieces; thick
Door-step yins wi the jam
Rinnin aff the marg.
And scones: tattie scones;
Soda scones; or treckle Scones ...
(19) Abd. 1834 Abd. Shaver (July) 80:
There stood poor little “chappy”, like a “traikle-stick.”
(20) Gsw. 1889 A. G. Murdoch Readings 58:
Copious libations of treacle swats.
(22) s.Sc. 1896 Border Mag. (March) 34:
Washed doun with home-made table-beer called “treacle wheuch.”
Rxb. 1917 Kelso Chronicle (21 Dec.) 2:
Butter, syrup, or “tryacle-wheef” as substitute.

[The forms tryacle, triacle, etc. are found in Mid.Eng. O.Sc. has tryakill, -le, from a.1499.]

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"Traicle n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/traicle_n1>

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