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.
DRILL, v.2 Also dry(i)ll. To move or work slowly and indolently, to loiter, dawdle (Ork. 1929 Marw.). Also in Eng. dial.
Hence drilly, adj., dawdling (Ib.).Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
To geng drillin aboot de wark.Sh. 1922 J. Inkster Mansie's Röd 35:
A lock o' folk comin' dryllin behint a', an' raabin a lock o' nonsense ta ane anidder.
Comb.: dr(y)illaskøvi, -skövie, a fisherman's tabu-name for the otter (Sh. 1899 J. Spence Folk-Lore 121, dryilla-skövie; 1908 Jak. (1928)), lit. the one that drags its tail.
[Cf. Norw. dial. drila, to move heavily and lazily, to trail along, to dawdle.]
