Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SHEVEL, v., n. Also shavel, shaivle, shaevle, sheavle; sheevil; and reduced forms sheyl(e), shile, shyle; sheil (Kcb. 1912 Trans. Dmf. and Gall. Antiq. Soc. 292). [ʃevl; sm.Sc. ʃəil]

I. v. tr. To twist out of shape, to make awry, freq. of the mouth; to distort (the mouth), screw (the face) up (Sc. 1808 Jam.). Hence deriv. shily in comb. shily-moued, having a wry or twisted mouth, with an undershot lip (Sc. 1787 J. Elphinston Propriety II. 201); to put out of order, disarrange, of the hair (Bnff. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XII. 196, phs. confused with Eng. dishevel); to cut awkwardly or squint, as in slicing a loaf (Bnff. 1970). Ppl.adj. shevelled, sheyld, sheylt, bent; distorted in any way (Dmf. 1825 Jam., sheyld, sheylt; ne. Sc. 1970, shevelled); of teeth: overcrowded in the mouth and hence squint (Mry. 1958).Lnk. a.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 92:
The deil's on the tap o' the mou', sheavling his mouth at me.Rnf. 1805 G. McIndoe Poems 50:
A mouth but shavel'd looks, when choosin' To bite the nose.Sc. a.1814 J. Ramsay Scot. and Scotsmen (1888) II. 291:
He told somebody, who asked him why he did not sometimes live at Blair, that he cared not to shavel his shoon — i.e., to set his shoes awry on the declivity.Sc. 1819 J. Rennie St Patrick I. xiv.:
“He's shylin his mouth at ye, minnie”, remarked “wee Sannock”.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin xi.:
Gruein', an' feighin', an' shylin' my chafts like mad.Ayr. 1870 J. McKillop Poems 49:
On his head his hat is shevelt, 'Cross the crown completely riven.

2. intr. To become distorted (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 153); of the features; to make a wry mouth, to grimace from vexation, pain, a bitter taste, etc. (Slk. 1825 Jam., sheyl, shyle; Dmf. 1894 Trans. Dmf. & Gall. Antiq. Soc. 154, shyle; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., shile; Ork. 1948, shevel; Gall. 1970, shile); to squint, look sideways from the corner of one's eye (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 426, shyle; Kcb. 1970). Hence shevel(ing)-gab(b)it, shaivle-moot, having a wry or twisted mouth (Sc. 1787 J. Elphinston Propriety II. 201, shavel-gabbit; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 153, shaivle-moot), sheveling-heeled, with worn or down-trodden heels, ¶sheevil-shot, distorted, twisted. Also shavlingly adv.Sc. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Shep. iv. i.:
Ye'll gar me stand! ye sheveling-gabit Brock.Lnk. a.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 43:
How think ye the like o' me can wak straight wi' sic auld shevelin heel'd shune as mine?Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 93:
[He] was just a grubbing, shyling cuif.Ayr. 1832 John Galt Blackwood's Magazine Oct 648:
Drawing his under lip shavlingly over his upper. Ayr. a.1839 Galt Howdie (1923) 7:
The cold made him there shavelin gabbit.Rxb. 1847 J. Halliday Rustic Bard 151:
How brainless dundrums sneer an' wink, An' shan' an' shile, and leering blink.Dmf. 1873 A. Anderson Song of Labour 105:
An' noo he tak's his han's, An' pushes back the bowl, an' shiles.Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr. Duguid 253:
Sheevil-shot, humphy-backit, reel-fitted.Kcb. 1895 Trans. Dmf. and Gall. Antiq. Soc. 40:
The one who “shiled” best. i.e., the one who made the ugliest face.Ork. 1956 C. M. Costie Benjie's Bodle 175:
A peery hard-grown craeter wae . . a shaevlan chin.

3. To walk in an unsteady and oblique sort of way, in a kind of corkscrew manner (Sc. 1808 Jam.). Also in n.Eng. dial.

II. n. 1. A distortion, twist, a knocking out of shape (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 153; Abd. 1970).

2. A wry smile or grimace (sm.Sc. 1970); a sidelong glance, a squint (Kcb. 1970).Wgt. 1878 “Saxon” Gall. Gossip 222:
The shile . . . that spread ower his face as he wantit to smile.