Show Search Results Show Browse

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

PERLAIG, v., n. Also perlya(a)g, -laug, pirlaag. See P.L.D. § 141.1. [pər′l(j)ɑ:g]

I. v. To put off time, procrastinate, gen. in ppl.adj. perlaigit, harassed or in arrears with one's work (Abd. 1958), and agent n. pirlaager, a dawdler, procrastinator at work.Abd. 1966 Huntly Express (28 Jan.) 4:
He's aye a sod pirlaager.

II. n. Trash, rubbish, a worthless object, a nasty or nauseous mixture of scraps (Sc. 1905 E.D.D. Suppl.), freq. applied to cheap elaborate foods or sweetmeats which have little value as nourishment (Bnff., Abd. 1965).Abd. 1904 Weekly Free Press (25 June):
They say't road scrapin's an' a' perlyaag's mixt up the gidder an' saul' for manure.
Abd. 1915 H. Beaton Benachie 48:
Fa's gaun tae Inrury the morn, for perlyaag tae aet at Yeel.
Abd. 1920 A. Robb MS. iii.:
Syne it got a moggan tied on to its moo to keep it frae eatin' straes or ony orra perlaug for the first nine days.
Bnff. 1929 Banffshire Jnl. (17 Sept.):
She hid niver hard o' this byous new veetymin perlyag bit she kent fat wis gweed for body an' beest.
Abd. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick xxii.:
An aal pirlyaag o' a cloot 'at A fan.

[Per-, pref., + lag, to fall behind, with influence from Lagger, v., n., esp. in II.]

You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.

"Perlaig v., n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/perlaig>

20662

snd

Hide Advanced Search

Browse SND:

    Loading...

Share: