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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

GASHLE, v. Also gashel, gaschil.

1. To distort, put out of shape (Abd.³ 1949). Also fig.Abd. 1825 Jam.:
“He's gashlin' his beik”; he is making a wry mouth.Abd. 1922 G. P. Dunbar Doric 39:
Wi' gey gashelt sheen Whilk she skushles aroon.Bnff. 1954 Banffshire Jnl. (19 Jan.) 4:
Giein' me another grin fae her gashelt mou'.

Hence gashelbike, a chatterbox. Cf. 1825 quot. above.Abd. (Rayne) 1916 T.S.D.C. II.:
Ye're jist a rael gashelbike.Dundee 1996 Matthew Fitt Pure Radge 4:
syne hauf-sees owre
ah'll whummle ye
cowp yir harns
ramfoozil an bumbaze
gaschil yir rhetoric
an drehve ye
up the waa.

†2. “To argue with much tartness” (Ayr. 1825 Jam.; Ayr.⁴ 1928, obsol.). Hence gashlin, vbl.n., “a bitter noisy argument, in which the disputants seem ready to fly at each other” (Jam.). Of a dog: to show the teeth, to growl or bark threateningly (Rnf. 1837 Crawfurd MSS. XI. 308).

3. To gossip (Abd.² 1949). Gen. as ppl.adj.Abd.¹⁵ 1928:
The gashlin ted, he wid 'a taul ye that, wid he?