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

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Slop, Slap, n.¹ Also: slopp(e, slope, sloip, sloap, sloop, sclope, slapp(e, slape, slaip. [MDu., MLG slop. Cf. 17th c. Eng. (Saturdaies) slop (once, 1622). Also in the later dial.]

1. A gap, breach or hole (in a wall, etc.); hence, an entrance or exit, means of access or egress. Also attrib. with dyik.Also fig. and in fig. context.Also in place names.1561 Edgar Hist. Dumfries App. 239.
Twa ruids of land liand on the south side of Sinclar Vennell and at the eist syde of the Liggȝet Slappe 1635 Glasgow B. Rec. II 33.
xxix li. for the calsay at the Claysclope 1707 Laing Chart. No. 3036.
The blaeberry dike and way tending from the Kirkgate to the Barkerland slop(a) 1375 Barb. viii 274.
The nobill kyng … to the formast dyk is gane And in the slop the feld has tane c1420 Wynt. v 3268.
Quhill thai fled … thaire fayis … Sloppys in syndry placis [sc. of the wall] mad 1513 Doug. ii viii 77.
Syne … throu the ȝet ane large wyndo makkis, By the quhilk slop the place within apperis 1536 Ayr Common Good Acc. MS.
Item for clay to ane slop in the kirkdyk ij d. 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 140/1. c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 736.
The Scottis gunnis … hat hir [sc. a galleon] … With monie ane slop 1564 Edinb. B. Rec. III 183.
To caus big mend and compleit the sloppis and hollis in the pairttis of the toun wallis … sua that [na] pairt of the samyn be clymable nor passable 1568 Protocol Book of J. Foulis MS 61b.
The said Andro to haue … ane slop on the eist syde of his awin barne ȝarde for leding in of his corne 1580 Treasurer's Accounts MS 43 (2).
Bigging vp of bak durris and sloppis in the abbay 1588 Protocol Book of W. Cumming 127b.
Be done castyn of said falis and brakyn of sloppis in diuers placis … of the said dikis and faldis 1600 Acts IV 205/1.
As his maiestie wes rydand throw the slop of the park dyk 1602 Edinb. B. Rec. V 301.
For eschewing of all danger of … pestilence ordanis the bailleis of Leyth to clois up the sloppis of thair towne 1618 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) II 107.
To Johne Simsone maisone for bigging up a great slop that schott out in the syd of Sir Michell Elphinstounes hous 1653 Peebles B. Rec. II 20.
Renewes the acts anent bigging of yaird sloppes 1695 Stirling B. Rec. II 76.(b) 1548 Dumfr. & Galloway Soc. XXXIX 51.
For ane barne steid in kyrkgait nixt the common sloip 1571 Treasurer's Accounts XII 274.
To certane quarriouris and werkmen for douncasting of ane slope in the park dyke 1600 Adamson Muses Thr. I 231.
Sloap 1604 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 110.
Jhone Scot ane winter slope … for the quhilk ilk ane of them is decernit to pay xl s. for everie winter slope and for the gerse slope xx s. 16.. Hist. Kennedy 62.
He takis doune ane sloip in the cloise-dyk 1679 Rec. Old Aberd. I 133.
Demolisheing or bracking slopis in the said yard dykes(c) 1547 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II 130.
That the thesaurer … big vp all slappis and interessis except the ports 1582 Lanark B. Rec. 89. 1615 Inverness Rec. II 133.
That [they] … laid and carie … stainis … for biggin of the slap of the auld grein hillock 1619 Perth Kirk S. MS 12 April.
They … past ower the slap at the stepping stonnes and geid hence the eistmest gait of the Inch 1629 Black Orkn. & Shetl. Folklore 110.
Michaell Firth … deponed that quhen he was cuming to Birssay with hir out of the slap sho confest [etc.] 1629 Hossack Kirkwall 258.
When he was conveying you to Birssay he [sc. Michaell Firthis] askit you at the slap of Birssay if ye knew [etc.] 1630 Elgin Rec. II 215.
He cast a slap in the Channery kirkyaird dyke … and put in four horse therin 1635 Monteith Stewartry Ct. 6 May.
And bringand [the meir] furth of the said park turneand him about to big the slap quhair he browcht hir furth [etc.] 1642–3 Aberd. Shore Wk. Acc. 276. 1661 R. Brown Paisley I 296.
To remove … the stanes that lyes in the slap in the hinderend of the fauld 1661 Old Ross-shire I 310.
[He] sall have up to the slappes on the above loning [and] down till the wood 1662 Highland P. III 15. 1677 Rothesay B. Rec. 350.
To cary the win stones therto and put the same in the grund of the key and big the broken slaps and sett up the louss stones 1678 Cramond Ch. Grange 33.
Slapp 1699 A. Watt Early Hist. Kintore (1865) 41.
That when the magistrates rode the landemuries they always threw down the slaps in the kirkstade fold by the way of interuption 1708 Black Orkn. & Shetl. Folklore 133.
Kathrine Brown coming to a common slap on the high way, carrying the water … in a large stoup … and emptying the said stoup in the said slap … and he coming to the said slap did find a stone and feal on the said water or where it was spilled … and that he suspecting some devilrie did break down a slap in another place of the dike and passed over(d) 1557–8 Edinb. Old Acc. I 248.
For ane tre till be the dur cheikks of the yett to put up in the slape, xij s. 1560–1 Edinb. Old Acc. I 353.
For biggin upe of the slape betwix the [new] wark and the auld … xl s. 1567–8 Criminal Trials I i 512.
We all passit up to the Freier Yaird, through the slape 1603 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 87.
Sax winter slapis doun in Lie be Mairjorie Sinclair and thairfoir is decernit to pay for ilk slape xl s. 1604 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 110.
That Jhone Sinclair, larycht man, the tyme of the ryding of the slappis of the parochin, fand Jhone in Ringista to haife ane winter slape, … Malcum Wilyeamsoun … ane winter slape for gerse, Arthour Coupland … ane winter slape for corne [etc.] 1627 Banff Ann. II 213.
The said James sall … upput tua slaippis or goilis on the northsyde of the said harbarie … and sall mak the saidis slappis als heich as the said craig 1633 Master of Works Accounts II 359.
The slape in the park dyck that the loch brak outattrib. 1582 Treasurer's Accounts MS 43.
For mending of sindrie slop dyikisfig. 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 4005.
Father of falset … Leidsterne to lie, and ane greit slop of seill 1562-3 Winȝet I 14/23.
I socht … ane man that wald mak vp the haige, and set hym self in the slope … that I suld not vterlie destroy it 1638 Cant Serm. (1741) 34.
Bring stones, and make up a slap in Zion 1683 Brodie Diary 478.
Ladie Lethen died … she was a person of much knowledge, experience, prudence, and maks a great slapp

b. The opening or passage left in a salmon cruive, by law, from Saturday to Monday morning, to allow free passage of the fish; the period during which this takes place. Chiefly Setterday(is) slop.(1) 1424 Acts II 5/2.
Thai that has crufis in fresche watteris that thai ger keip the lawis anentis the Setterday slop 1489 Acts II 221/2.
Anent the cruffis set in fresche watteris … lat the mydstreme be alway fre be the space of five fute and at the Setterdayis slop be obseruit 1581 Acts III 218/2.
To his hines subiectis … in possessioun of halding of cruuis, lynis or loupis within fresche watteris … that they may … occupy the same … kepand the Setterdayis slop and sic distance betuix euerie hek, as the actis of parliament appoyntis 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Setterdayis.
Setterdayis slop is ane space of time, within the quhilk it is not leasum to take salmond fish: that is, fra the time of evensang after noone on Setterday, vntil the rising of the sun on Mononday 1603 Stirling B. Rec. I 105.
Slope 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. ii 138b.
Sloppe 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. (Latin) ii 27 marg.
Slopp 1639 Acts V 613/2.
That the actis anent Setterdayis slop, midstreame, and distance of heckis may be ratified 1664 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I 572.
That there shall be a Saturndayes slop every weik from Saturnday at even till Monday at eight aclock in the morning 1686 Mackenzie Observ. (1687) 8.
The Saturndays slop was to be observ'd in all cruivs, which was to continue by pulling up all the hecks to the breadth of an ell in every cruive, from Saturnday at six a clock till Sunday at sun-rising 1693 in Session Papers, Leslie v. Fraser (29 March 1805) 330 (Jam. (1808) s.v. Hoas).
The heritors of the cruives are ordained to desist from stenting of their nets [etc.] … during the Saturday's sloop(2) 1424 Acts Jas. I 84b.
That thai that has crowis in till fresch watteris kep the lawis anentis the slope 1664 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I 573.
In that slop some indirect course was taken to scarr the fishes from coming that way 1664 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I 573.
That the cruives be taken out and a slop maid from Saturnday night untill Monday morning

2. A gap in (the ranks, etc. of) an army.1460 Hay Alex. 7866.
Euerie man … mark at the mydwart of the feild; And gif God gevis thame grace to mak a slop [etc.] c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace vii 592.
The new cowntir assailȝeit thaim sa fast Throuch Inglismen maid sloppys at the last c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ix 949.
Sloppys thai maid throu all that chewalry 1533 Bell. Livy I 218/20.
Be force of al thare bodyis and wapynnys … thai made ane slop throw thare inemyis 1533 Bell. Livy II 91/18.
Thus was the first slop made amang the trinschis and tentis of inemyis

3. A wound, gash, cut.a1400 Legends of the Saints Prol. 72.
Longius … mad ȝet thare in Cristis syd A slope, that ves bath lang & vyd a1400 Legends of the Saints xlv 300.
With ane arrow in hire syd He mad a slope, depe & wyd ?1438 Alex. ii 10511.
With great sloppis and dyntis of speiris Thair helmes war hewin about thair earis 1460 Hay Alex. 1619.
He straik ane … maid him a slop so wide That all his bowellis hang furth a1689 Cleland 12.
Their durks hang down between their leggs, Where they made many slopes and geggs; By rubbing on their naked side a1689 Cleland 78.
[He] Did tear and grasp him with his claws … And gave him many a souce and slope

4. ? transf. A piece of cut stone such as might be used in building a doorway or the like.1606 quots. may belong elsewhere.1553–4 Edinb. Old Acc. I 118.
For vij draucht of sloppis and cunȝeis fra the mure to the schoir 1553–4 Edinb. Old Acc. I 118.
Ressavit furth of the querrell of the Borromure, xl pece hewin wark to be sloppis and cunȝeis; … for dressing of the samyn sloppis and cunȝeis 1558–9 Edinb. Old Acc. I 296.
Expenses maid upoun the bigin of the south flesche hus dure … for viij draucht of sleppis fra the mylnis to the flesche hus, xxiij s. 1606 Dundonald Par. Rec. 106.
That he tuik vp ane slop to stryk him with 1606 Dundonald Par. Rec. 109.
The said Williame lifting vp ane slop to cast at the said Williame

5. ? In extended sense: A (decorative) gap or hole in a shoe. (Cf. SND Slap n.² 8, 1860.)16… Bk. Dunvegan I 205.
Shoes leased with slopes 16… Bk. Dunvegan I 206.
Shews witht slops for me leday