Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
BILL, n.1 Common Sc. for Eng. bull. Hence bill-trout, a bull-trout (Knr. 1710 R. Sibbald Hist. Fife (1803) 284). [bɪl] The alternative form everywhere is [bʌl].Abd. 1875 G. Macdonald Malcolm 1xii.:
“Freen' o' mine!” exclaimed the Partaness. “We gree like twa bills (bulls) i' the same park!”wm.Sc. 1835 Laird of Logan II. 6:
Logan . . . cried out, “Rin into the house ye deevils! e'en the vera bill canna' stan' the sicht o' cards on the sabbath-day!”Ayr. 1786 Burns Address to the Deil x.:
An' dawtet, twal-pint Hawkie's gane As yell's the Bill.Kcb. 1789 D. Davidson Seasons 49:
Nae twa were ever seen mair thick Than brawny an' the bill.Uls. 1910 C. C. Russell People and Lang. of Uls. 25:
“Bull” (bool) becomes “bull,” as in “skull,” and finally “bill.”
Comb.: †bill-siller, the fine formerly imposed by the Kirk sessions in cases of fornication.Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems 23:
When right sair fleed, He gart them good Bill-siller pay.
