Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1725, 1778-1895, 1956
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SHEVEL, v., n. Also shavel, shaivle, shaevle, sheavle; sheevil; and reduced forms sheyl(e), shile, shyle; sheil (Kcb. 1912 Trans. Dmf. and Gall. Antiq. Soc. 292). [ʃevl; sm.Sc. ʃəil]
I. v. tr. To twist out of shape, to make awry, freq. of the mouth; to distort (the mouth), screw (the face) up (Sc. 1808 Jam.). Hence deriv. shily in comb. shily-moued, having a wry or twisted mouth, with an undershot lip (Sc. 1787 J. Elphinston Propriety II. 201); to put out of order, disarrange, of the hair (Bnff. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XII. 196, phs. confused with Eng. dishevel); to cut awkwardly or squint, as in slicing a loaf (Bnff. 1970). Ppl.adj. shevelled, sheyld, sheylt, bent; distorted in any way (Dmf. 1825 Jam., sheyld, sheylt; ne. Sc. 1970, shevelled); of teeth: overcrowded in the mouth and hence squint (Mry. 1958).Lnk. a.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 92:
The deil's on the tap o' the mou', sheavling his mouth at me.Rnf. 1805 G. McIndoe Poems 50:
A mouth but shavel'd looks, when choosin' To bite the nose.Sc. a.1814 J. Ramsay Scot. and Scotsmen (1888) II. 291:
He told somebody, who asked him why he did not sometimes live at Blair, that he cared not to shavel his shoon — i.e., to set his shoes awry on the declivity.Sc. 1819 J. Rennie St Patrick I. xiv.:
“He's shylin his mouth at ye, minnie”, remarked “wee Sannock”.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin xi.:
Gruein', an' feighin', an' shylin' my chafts like mad.Ayr. 1870 J. McKillop Poems 49:
On his head his hat is shevelt, 'Cross the crown completely riven.
2. intr. To become distorted (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 153); of the features; to make a wry mouth, to grimace from vexation, pain, a bitter taste, etc. (Slk. 1825 Jam., sheyl, shyle; Dmf. 1894 Trans. Dmf. & Gall. Antiq. Soc. 154, shyle; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., shile; Ork. 1948, shevel; Gall. 1970, shile); to squint, look sideways from the corner of one's eye (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 426, shyle; Kcb. 1970). Hence shevel(ing)-gab(b)it, shaivle-moot, having a wry or twisted mouth (Sc. 1787 J. Elphinston Propriety II. 201, shavel-gabbit; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 153, shaivle-moot), sheveling-heeled, with worn or down-trodden heels, ¶sheevil-shot, distorted, twisted.Also shavlingly adv.Sc. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Shep. iv. i.:
Ye'll gar me stand! ye sheveling-gabit Brock.Lnk. a.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 43:
How think ye the like o' me can wak straight wi' sic auld shevelin heel'd shune as mine?Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 93:
[He] was just a grubbing, shyling cuif.Ayr. 1832 John Galt Blackwood's Magazine Oct 648:
Drawing his under lip shavlingly over his upper. Ayr. a.1839 Galt Howdie (1923) 7:
The cold made him there shavelin gabbit.Rxb. 1847 J. Halliday Rustic Bard 151:
How brainless dundrums sneer an' wink, An' shan' an' shile, and leering blink.Dmf. 1873 A. Anderson Song of Labour 105:
An' noo he tak's his han's, An' pushes back the bowl, an' shiles.Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr. Duguid 253:
Sheevil-shot, humphy-backit, reel-fitted.Kcb. 1895 Trans. Dmf. and Gall. Antiq. Soc. 40:
The one who “shiled” best. i.e., the one who made the ugliest face.Ork. 1956 C. M. Costie Benjie's Bodle 175:
A peery hard-grown craeter wae . . a shaevlan chin.
3. To walk in an unsteady and oblique sort of way, in a kind of corkscrew manner (Sc. 1808 Jam.). Also in n.Eng. dial.
II. n. 1. A distortion, twist, a knocking out of shape (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 153; Abd. 1970).
2. A wry smile or grimace (sm.Sc. 1970); a sidelong glance, a squint (Kcb. 1970).Wgt. 1878 “Saxon” Gall. Gossip 222:
The shile . . . that spread ower his face as he wantit to smile.
