Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1816-1925
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UNTELLIN, ppl.adj. Past reckoning, impossible to tell, beyond words (Rxb. 1825 Jam.; Lnk., Slk. 1973). Also in n.Eng. dial. See Un-, pref., 2.Lnk. 1816 G. Muir Minstrelsy 7:
The royal banner that has splendid flown Its annual course for ages past untellin'.Slk. 1823 Hogg Shep. Cal. (1874) i.:
It was untelling what land that man possessed.Peb. 1836 J. Affleck Poet. Wks. 66:
The draps o' guide drink that we got were untelling.Lth. 1885 J. Strathesk More Bits 96:
The evils thereby done were “untelling”.Lnk. 1892 Scots Mag. (June) 30:
It's untellin' what a cat'll eat aboot a ferm-toon.Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 1:
The road was thrang wui droves o nowt — aa keinds, untellin.
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"Untellin ppl. adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/untellin>
