Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
MAGGLE, v. Also ma(a)gle, magil, meggle. Deriv. maggleeze [maggle-ize].
1. To spoil by over-handling (Wgt., Kcb. 1962); to mangle (Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. Gl., 1818 Sawers); specif. to spoil food by cutting and handling it too much during its preparation (Rs. 1958, maggleese). Ppl.adj. mag(g)led, botched, bungled, disorganised.Sc. 1713 R. Wodrow Analecta (M.C.) II. 222:
Mr Carstairs his magled sort of keeping it [a day of thanksgiving for the peace] at Edinburgh was much wondered at.Arg. 1992:
My mother often used to tell off my younger sister and me when we'd be dipping our fingers into a cake mixture: 'Don't be megglin in that!'
2. To impede, hinder, inconvenience.Sc. a.1813 A. Murray Hist. Eur. Langs. (1823) I. 341:
To maggle is common Scotish for impede; as he was maggled with or by his wet clothes, his feet were maggled by the deep snow, the mire and deep roads maggled him.
3. To trudge laboriously through mud or snow (Ork. 1929 Marw.). Cf. Meggle.
[O.Sc. maggle, to mangle, maul, damage, from 1456. Phs. of imit. orig. Cf. Haggle, Taggle. 3. may be from a different word. Cf. Mogs.]
