Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

CUITTLE, Kuittel, v.² and adj.

1. v.

(1) To tickle (Lnk.¹¹, Kcb.¹ 1941).Sc. a.1790 A. Macdonald in Scott Waverley (1814) xi.:
And mony a weary cast I made, To cuittle the moor-fowl's tail.

(2) tr. and intr. To kindle (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., cuittle).Rxb.(D) 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes an Knowes 18:
A hantle heh the twaesome seen sin the beacons war kuittelt on ther heathery pows.

2. adj. Difficult, “ticklish” (Lnk.¹¹, Kcb.¹ 1941).n.Sc. 1891 A. Gordon Folks o' Carglen 140:
It'll be a cuittle question that for the lyer chiels.