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.
OOLY, n. A deposit of hidden treasure, a cache. Gael.w.Sc. 1950 Scots Mag. (Nov.) 151:
Apart from any natural deposits of precious metals, there exist “oolies,” which had been hidden in various safe places at the approach of an enemy in the boisterous past and sometimes lost, together with the life of the hider, or through some other mishap. . . . A considerable “ooly” of £700 has been discovered in the garret of a disused house in South Arran.
