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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

COLLIESHANGIE, Colly-, Colie-, Colli-, Cully-, Cally-, Colleshangee, Cullieshang, n. and. v. The forms collieshang (Kcb.⁴ c.1900), killyshangy (Edb. 1822 Caled. Mag. I. 351); cullishangie, cullieschangie; calishang (Rnf. 1835 D. Webster Rhymes 168) and colasheen (Ork. 1880 Dennison Orcad. Sk. Bk. 104) are also found. Callyshangie is given by Mry.⁵ (1928). [kɔlɪ̢′ʃɑŋi Sc., but Ork. + kɔlə′ʃin, Mry. + kalɪ̢′ʃɑŋi, Abd., Ags. + kʌlɪ̢′ʃɑŋi; kɔlɪ̢′ʃɑŋ Kcb.; kʌlɪ̢′ʃɑŋ Rxb.]

1. n.

(1) A noisy dispute, an uproar, row, disturbance. Gen.Sc.Cai. 1776 Weekly Mag. (25 Jan.) 146:
Whan will this ugly cullishangie cease?Nai. 1987 David Thomson Nairn in Darkness and Light (1988) 191:
There were two collieshangies at parties that summer, both caused by Kolya who usually did what no one else dared to do. Mry. 1873 J. Brown Round Table Club 92:
There's nae collieshangie aboot cerimonies an' pints o' kirk government there.Abd. 1737 W. Meston Old Mother Grim's Tales 45–46:
Sitting too long by the Barrel, MacBane and Donald Dow did quarrel, And in a colleshangee landed.Ags. 1826 A. Balfour Highland Mary I. xi.:
Wadna' you lookit right blate an' that cullyshangie had happened at the pier?Dundee 1996 Matthew Fitt Pure Radge 5:
an in amangst it
the stuschie
the cullieschangie
the reel-rall
rummle-tummle
ramress o a fecht.Rxb. 1808 A. Scott Poems 135:
Cullieshangs 'tween man an' wife Happen whyles for want o' siller.

(2) A dog-fight (Bnff.² 1937; Peb. 1910 (per Ayr.¹)).Ayr. 1913 J. Service Memorables R. Cummell vii.:
There was a collyshangie ae day amang a wheen dowgs.Dmf. 1891 J. Brown Hist. of Sanquhar viii.:
The collies, to keep them company, take to barking, the result being many a “collieshangie,” in which . . . a good deal of worrying takes place.

(3) Talk, consultation, animated or gossiping conversation, with no idea of conflict implied.Bnff.⁶ c.1920:
I hid a lang collyshangie wi' him.Abd. 1928 N. Shepherd Quarry Wood xv.:
They made no steer when they gathered for a collieshangie at a dyke corner.Ags.(D) 1892 Brechin Advertiser (6 Dec.) 3/5:
We'll juist stap ower to the fit o' the Cairn o' Mount, an' haud a colieshangie wi' Sir John Forbes.

†2. v. To wrangle; fight.Fif. 1894 A. S. Robertson Provost o' Glendookie 94:
Come oot o' that. Ye needna think to collishangie wi' me.