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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Sle, Sley(e, adj. Also: slee, slie, sly. [ME sleh (Orm), sley (1297), sle(i, sli (all Cursor M.), ME and e.m.E sly(e (14th c.), slie (1600), ON slœ́gr clever, cunning; orig., ‘able to strike’, f. slóg- p.t. stem of slá to strike.]

1. Of persons (or rarely, animals). a. Skilled, expert; clever, knowledgeable; also of, in (at) the skill concerned; also, once, const. infin. Chiefly predic.predic. (1) 1375 Barb. xvi 339.
He gert set wrychtis that war sleye [C. sle] … mak a fayr maner 1375 Barb. xvii 244.
Jhone Crab, a Flemyng, als had he … Till … mak apparaill For to defend and till assaill Castell of wer … That nane sleyar mycht fundyn be 1375 Barb. xix 179.
Fele that now of wer ar sley, In-till the lang trew sall dey And other in thar sted sall rys That sall conn litill of that mastrys a1400 Leg. S. ii 748.
Thai, that wyse war and sle … A padok gert hym drink in hy, And syne throw thar suttellite [etc.] a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii 550. a1500 Seven S. 1793.
Cuth ȝe … with all ȝour cure Get it & lat the myrour stand Ȝa … quod thai … Ȝe wait gif we be sumthing sle 15.. Clar. ii 1358.
All workmen that war slee, Wrichtis and maisters of geometrie [etc.](b) 1560 Rolland Seven S. 107.
I sall send for all my ding doctouris … My cunning men and my medicinars … My practicianes quhilkis ar suttell and slie(2) 1375 Barb. xvii 938.
He send for maysonys … That sleast war off that myster a1500 Henr. Fab. 667.
Ane worthie doctour of diuinitie Freir Volff Waitskaith in science wonder sle [H. slie] c1475 Wall. i 375.
Off that labour [sc. fishing] as than he was nocht sle: Happy he was a1500 Sir Eger 1551 (L).
He learned had, Most craftily to weild his blade: Of acward strokes he was right slee a1500 Seven S. 777.
Ypocras That in to medicyne was so sle That his renovne will neuer de c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 60 (M).
Crawdoun Kennedy … I se the haltane in thy harlotrye And in to vther science no thing sle [B. slie] Off everie vertew void 1513 Doug. viii 95.
Cloanthus followys … Mayr sle in rowth, thocht sum deil slaw was sche 1513 Doug. ix ix 103.
Asylas … was in dartis castyng wonder sle 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4931.
In Arsmetrik, He was sa sle, that [etc.](b) c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) l 30.
Gy of Gysburne, na Allan Bell, … At schot war nevir so slie 1535 Stewart 44586.
Wes no chirurgeane of his craft so slie(3) 1513 Doug. vi xv 2.
Pepil of othir realmys … Bene mor expert in craftis and mar sle To forge and kerf lyflyke … staturisattrib. a1400 Leg. S. v 160.
Sle men of crafte that knew that thynge c1420 Wynt. viii 5537.
The Erle off Ross, that wes worthy, Get sley mynowrys … he gert thaim myne, And stall thare wattyr away haly 1513 Doug. xi viii 152.
Armour … Wrocht by the handis of God Vlcanus sle

b. Clever, intellectually acute or perceptive, wise; wily, ingenious, without pejorative implication, passing into sense 1 c below.predic. 1375 Barb. iv 212.
In burch I wyst weill I suld de Bot I wes nothir wys na sle, Till other burch kep to ta a1400 Leg. S. l 419.
Thane sad the master, that was sle: ‘Gyf he was God, quhow mycht he de?’ ?1438 Alex. ii 3881.
Ȝe are sle, dame … And sewis it weill … But threid or nedill all subtelly c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. x 16.
Tharfor be ye slee as serpentis and sympile as dowis a1568 Mersar Bann. MS 213a/33.
On the first day and the kepar be sle Ane castell is nocht ay win be geperdys(b) a1500 Henr. Fab. 254 (Bann.).
In skugry ay throw rankest girs and corne And wondir sly full preuely cwth thay [sc. the mice] creipattrib. a1500 K. Hart 615.
Ȝe did greit mis fayr Conscience … That … cum this lait … And gif ȝe be ane counsalour sle Quhy suld ȝe sleuthfullie ȝour tyme forsume 1513 Doug. ix ix 48.
Helenor … was get … Betwix Meonyus kyng … And Lycynya the boynd wench wondir sle

c. Cunning, skilled in duplicity, sly.predic. 1375 Barb. v 493.
A man Off Carrik that wes sley and wycht 1375 Barb. v 513. c1420 Wynt. v 268.
In deyd he doure wes and douchty … Bot sle and dowtus off engyne a1487 Gud Wyf & D. 96.
The fals fend, that is so slee c1475 Wall. v 740.
He was full sle, and ek had mony cast a1500 Bernardus 242.
For seruandis tha ar batht fals and sle c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) iv 7.
The flesche is brukle the fend is sle 1513 Doug. ix Prol. 14.
Do tyll ilk wight as thou done to waldbe; Be nevir sle and doubill 1535 Stewart 48327.
This king Edward that subtill wes [and] sle, Full of falsheid [etc.] 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4430.
Ay auld men ar sle and cruell a1568 Bann. MS 256a/3.
Thair is nocht ane winche … Sall win ane wantage of me Be scho fals I salbe sle 1604-31 Craig v 11.
How can right Concord bee, Whyle you are true, and shee both false and slee?attrib. 1513 Doug. vi viii 107.
Cursyt Vlixes sle 1513 Doug. xi vi 106.
The sle adultrar occupiis hys sted 1533 Boece 190.
Twa men subtell and sle quhilk suld dissymyll [etc.] 1533 Boece 82b.
His corps … beryit was with mony dissymulit teris of Gillus his bastard son of subtell ingyne and sle abone mesoure desirous to regnne 1535 Stewart 24742.
Ane sle Saxone, that wes ane subtill freik c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iii 44.
Pandora sle That with hir slichts al men dois vincous a1689 Cleland 101.
He has been several times affronted By slie backspearers and accounted An emptie rogue(b) a1640 Mure Counter-Buff 107.
This slie fox [sc. Stercovius] hunted from hole to hole

2. Of a material or non-material thing: Characterised by skill, cleverness, knowledge, expertise, etc. Also of a thing seen as the result of skilled activity or encapsulating or exhibiting skill or dexterity in its use.Chiefly attrib. Freq. post-positional. 1375 Barb. xvii 607 (E).
Throw Crabys consaill that wes sley A crane thai haiff gert dres wp hey c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) iv 39 (Ch. & M.).
Magicianis, … logicianis, et theologgis Thame helpis no conclusionis sle a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 883.
Lechis war noght to lait, with sawis sa sle 1513 Doug. i Prol. 108.
Consider it warly, reid oftar than anys; Weill at a blenk sle poetry nocht tayn is 1513 Doug. xii Prol. 171.
In corneris … Aragne wevand was, To knyt hir nettis and hir wobbys sle 1513 Doug. xii vii 55.
With hys … grippand turcas sle To thrist the hed [of the spear], and draw furth pressis he 1535 Stewart 5061.
Tha had sum sle prattik in weir 1535 Stewart 16135.
Into that craft [sc. witchcraft] that war perqueir and sle 1570 Leslie 222.
[He] come agane to the wall and by sic slie shift gat up aloft apoun the battelline

3. a. Of a person's words, actions and the like. b. Of a person's character or temperament. c. Of human society or emotions more generally: Cunning, deceitful, false. d. fig.Chiefly attrib. Freq. post-positional.a. a1400 Leg. S. iv 49.
Phylet … fandyt thru sle argument Fore till eschow of his entent c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1256 (C).
And Vlixes, wauntyng in deid All wourschipe of worthy knyghthed But alanerly in the facoune Of hys slyghtfull and slee sermoune c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2263.
Amang thir mermadynnis come we … with thar sle fantasye c1420 Wynt. vii 321 (W).
Throu sle tressoun thare he wes slane a1500 Henr. Fab. 2913 (H).
Ane wickit mynd with wordis fair and sle c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 208/13.
Sum gevis money and sum gevis meit Sum gevis wordis fair and sle 1513 Doug. ii ii 87.
The gret iniquiteis seir And sle craftis of Grekis in euery deid 1513 Doug. xi viii 73.
Than with hys dreid and sle controvit feir My cryme aggregis he a1568 Wedderburn Bann. MS 260a/5.
Hir toung was wonder sle With fals semblance and fenȝeit humylnes a1568 Bann. MS 262a/28.
Sle serpent wrinkis a1595 Cullen Chron. Aberd. 62.
Sathane with his craiftis sley c1600 Montg. Suppl. v 29.
Na … perswationis slie, Sell newer mouf my mynd 1611-57 Mure Dido & Æneas ii 771.
The slee deceits of Venus' boyb. 1531 Bell. Boece I 230.
Thay chesit Hergestus, ane man of sle and fals ingine 1533 Boece 299.
Ane Britan be lang consuetude repute ane Saxoun of subtell and sle ingyne … This dissymulate Saxoun [etc.] 1638 Henderson Serm. 207.
Give us grace to watch over our awin slee & subtle hearts, and to beware of Satanc. 1513 Doug. viii vii 41.
That hait fyre sle Of luf a1568 Bann. MS 69b/7.
This warld dissaitful & sle Hes no sickernes a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xlvii 83.
Love is so slie … His mouth is hony, bot his hairt is gall. On kitlest huiks the sliest baits they ard. a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xlvii 87 (see sense 3 c above).

4. absol. A clever, skilled or cunning person. c1475 Wall. x 382.
On the fyllat full sternly straik that sle