Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1821-1844
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†GRAWL, v. To scrounge. Sc. slang.Edb. 1844 J. Ballantine Miller ii.:
. . . the needy, naked shoals That winter cruel Sends crawling forth, frae cauld bleak holes, To grawl for fuel.Edb. 1844 J. Ballantine Miller iii.:
Thousands are huddled together in the narrow lanes and alleys of large towns, grawling for food among the refuse of your kitchens.
Hence grawler, a beggar.Sc. 1821 D. Haggart Life 62:
Not so much as sweeten [i.e. satisfy] a grawler.
