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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

FELL, v.¹, n.⁴ Sc. usages of Eng. fell, to strike down.

I. v. 1. To slaughter, to strike down dead, kill, orig. of animals, and, by extension, of human beings. Gen.Sc. Hence comb. ¶fell-down, n., a killing match.Sc. 1716 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 69:
But a thrawn Knublock hit his Heel, And Wives had him to haul up, Haff fell'd that Day.Gall. 1796 J. Lauderdale Poems 9:
And wading thro' the fields o' gore, Full freely took their chance, At fell-down, pell-mell.Mry. 1806 J. Cock Simple Strains 104:
And for our Meg, she'll fell hersel', I'm sure she'll brak' her heart!w.Sc. 1837 Laird of Logan II. 178:
An did you ride your poor mare a' the way and back again? You'll fell the trusty beast.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin iv.:
We happened to hae a fat swine o' twenty stane wecht to be felled.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xliii.:
I hed to fell some bonny yearocks 't aw wus keepin'.Ags. 1872 E. B. Ramsay Reminisc. vi.:
Leeve! hoo could she leeve? she juist felled hersell at Craigs wi' straeberries and ream!Sh. 1922 J. Inkster Mansie's Röd 50:
We're tankfil ta Him 'at rules a', Tamy, 'at shü wisna fell'd.

Phrs.: (1) fell the bull, a feat at swimming (Dmf. 1915 D. J. Beattie Oor Gate-En' 8); (2) to fell twa dogs wi' ae bane (Sh.¹⁰, Ork.⁵, Abd.²⁷, Ags.¹⁹ 1951), wi ae stane (m.Lth.¹, Kcb.¹⁰ 1951), to kill two birds with one stone. Birds is sometimes found in place of dogs.(2)Sc. 1701 Hist. MSS. Comm. Report (Hamilton MSS. Suppl.) 146:
They will choise to fell tuo doggs with on ston if they can.Edb. 1773 R. Fergusson Poems (1925) 31:
He can fell twa dogs wi' ae bane.Kcb. 1814 W. Nicholson Poems 14:
[He'd] fell twa burds whyles wi' ae stane — Said grace, and saw young Betty hame.Sc. 1824 Scott Redgauntlet i.:
“This,” Drudgeit said, “would be felling two dogs with one stone.”

2. In a more gen. and vaguer or fig. sense: to injure, manhandle; to beat, thrash (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.); to prostrate, esp. by illness with high temperature, gen. in ppl.adj. felled, prostrate with illness (e., w., sm.Sc., s.Sc. 1950); exhausted, broken down with work or low spirits (Abd.¹³ 1910). Comb.: fell'd (fell't) sick, too ill to stir (Cld. 1825 Jam.; Ayr. 1950).Abd. c.1780 The Wee Wifikie in J. Johnson Musical Museum V. 506:
Somebody has been felling me, and this is nae me.Rnf. 1884 J. Nicholson Willie Waugh 105:
Fell'd sick, she lay obleeg'd to tak' her bed.Abd. 1895 “N. Roy” Horseman's Word vi.:
She was that felled and dowf-like — aye in a kind o' dwawm.Abd.⁷ 1925:
“Gin I see ye at that again I'll fell ye,” a threat by a mother to her children.Gsw. 1950 H. Pryde McFlannel Family Affairs 79:
Ye'll need tae get well, hen. Ah don't like tae see ye lookin' sae felled.

†3. Of price: “to abate, deduct, as in price or payment” (Sc. 1887 Jam.). Obs. in Eng.

†4. In salmon-fishing: to cast a net from a boat into a river. Also with off and in form fail.Abd. 1766 Session Papers, Fordyce v. Menzies (27 Aug.) 2:
The fishers of Pitfoddles towed up their cobles along the south side of the inch, and felled off their shots from the head of it.Abd. 1795 Session Papers, Powis v. Leslie (1805) 55:
Felling or laying the net up the water, to interrupt fish going out to the sea, upon a flowing or returning tide.Ib. 197:
They did not describe the exact place where they felled it off, nor where they hauled the net.Abd. 1851 W. Nicol Hist. Old Bridge Don 17:
On the top of the hill is posted a man to watch the fish going up the river, and, on seeing any, calls out fail, a term which has long been used by fishermen, and which means, be quick and lower the net into the water.

5. To cause to subside, of lather (see quot.).Kcb.⁴ c.1900:
When the sowp is nicely risen all over with soapy bubbles, it is said to be freeth, and when anything dirty is put into it, the sowp is said to be felled.

II. n. A knock down or stunning blow (Twd. 1900 E.D.D.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Wgt., Dmf. 1950).Abd. 1903 Abd. Weekly Free Press (10 Oct.):
She fell as if he had gien her a fell.

Phr.: to gie (someone) the caul(d) fell, to strike (someone) dead or as dead (Bwk.², Kcb.¹⁰ 1950).