Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1836, 1894-1912
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LINKIE, adj., n. Also linky; ¶linkum.
I. adj. Sly, roguish, full of tricks (Rxb. 1825 Jam., 1923 Watson W.-B.), deceitful, fickle, esp. of a woman (Watson).
II. n. 1. A roguish person, a wag; a light-footed nimble girl (s.Sc. 1802 J. Sibbald Chron. Sc. Poetry Gl.; Rxb. 1961); an unreliable deceitful, untrustworthy person (s.Sc. 1825 Jam.; Dmf. 1961).Peb. 1836 J. Affleck Poet. Wks. 80:
My cousin Kate's a blacken'd jade, And yet the linkie has a lad.Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond My Man Sandy (1899) iii.:
Carryin' on like a pagan linkie instead o' the Queen o' Scotland.
2. Of something quick and elusive, in phr. like linkie, -um, in a flash, at top speed (Ags., Ayr., Rxb. 1928; Sh. 1961, -um).Lnk. 1902 A. Wardrop Hamely Sk. 174:
The lake [of Hell] that used tae burn like linkum.Dmf. 1912 J. L. Waugh Robbie Doo 105:
The oors slippit by like linkie.
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"Linkie adj., n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 3 Apr 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/linkie>
