Show Search Results Show Browse

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SCARTLE, v., n. Also skartle. [skɑrtl]

I. v. 1. To scrape together in little bits, make little scratching movements (Lnk., Rxb. 1825 Jam.; ‡Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.); to rake out ashes from a fire or the like: of mice or rats: to scurry (Gsw. 1912 Scotsman (19 Jan.)); fig. to accumulate (wealth) in small amounts, to scrape (money) together.Rnf. c.1850 Crawfurd MSS. (N.L.S.) S. 19:
A person blamed her sister gettan up in the morning scartlan sae soon.
Ayr. 1879 R. Adamson Lays 133:
When some unearthly thing began Jist at her heels tae scartle.
Cld. 1882 Jam.:
I'll buy't as soon as I hae scartled thegither as mony bawbees.

2. To scatter, fling about.Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr Duguid 27:
Auld Habkin scartled a wheen scadded pennies on the street at his dochter's waddin'.

II. n. 1. A scraping or scratching. Phr. to play scartle, to make a scraping sound, in quot. of an unskilful fiddler.Gsw. 1823 J. Livingston Comic Songs 34:
Whiles wi' the stick he played scartle.

2. A scraper or hoe for cleaning out a byre or stable (m.Lth. 1969); ‡a rake for drawing out ashes from a fire (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).Peb. 1805 J. Nicol Poems II. 156:
Ilk daud o' the scartle strack fire.
Rxb. 1871 H. S. Riddell Poet. Wks. II. 202:
The grape and the skartle he [Frost] froze in the stank.

[Freq. form of Scart, v. The n. usage is from the v.]

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

"Scartle v., n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/scartle>

23032

snd

Hide Advanced Search

Browse SND:

    Loading...

Share: