Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

CRUNKLE, CRUNC(K)LE, v. and n. Sc. forms of Eng. crinkle, with meanings as in Eng. Also found in Eng. dial. (E.D.D.). The v. sense of “to make a rustling or crackling sound,” and the n. sense of “a crackle as of rumpling paper” (Ayr.⁴ 1928) are peculiar to Sc. Known to Bnff.², Abd.², Ags.², Slg.³, Rxb. (per Lnk.¹¹) 1941. Ppl.adj. crunckled. Hence deriv. crunklies, n.pl., small pieces of coal used to kindle or bank up a fire (Ayr. 1975), from the crackling sound made as they burn. [′krʌnkəl]Sc. 1829 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) I. 2:
A piece o' paper, torn out o' the hinder-end of a volume, crunkling on my knee.Abd. 1824 G. Smith Douglas 27:
Ae cauldriffe night, or yet an air o' frost, Will cruncle't sae ye'd think the thing were lost.Ags.(D) 1894 J. B. Salmond My Man Sandy (1899) i.:
An' the legs o' him [horse] lookit for a' the world juist like bits o' crunckled water-hose.Ayr. 1950 Irvine Valley News (22 Dec.): 
A large glowing lump of coal was on the top, and behind a "shivelfu' o' crunklies" was waiting to join the cheery blaze.Kcb. 1895 S. R. Crockett Bog-Myrtle and Peat Tales ii. iii.:
A paper . . . that I kenned for Maxwell's by the crunkle o' the sheets.