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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SKELLET, n.¹ Also -at, -it, skillet, -at, and reduced, corrupt or erroneous forms skellach, -och, skellie, -y, skirret, shally-. [′skɛlət, ′skɛle] A hand-bell, a small bell carried by a public crier to give warning of his announcements (Lnk. 1825 Jam., skellie, Lnk. 1970), also a kind of metal rattle used for the same purpose (Sc. 1770 Hailes Ancient Sc. Poems 283; Lth. 1808 Jam.); in St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, applied to the smallest or treble of the steeple bells (Ork. 1961 Orcadian (9 March) 5). Also fig. in a.1810 quot. of a scold, and attrib. Comb. skellet bellman, skellieman, a bellman, public crier (Lnk. 1825 Jam., skellieman). Hist.Ork. 1700 B. H. Hossack Kirkwall (1900) 268:
The skillet bell in the steeple might be allowed to ring for the school and scholars' use.Gsw. 1720 Burgh Rec. Gsw. (1909) 92:
Adam Todd, late skellit bellman.Sc. 1726 W. Macfarlane Geog. Coll. (S.H.S.) I. 144:
The fourth bell [in Kirkwall] is not rung to sermon, but is called the skellit and rung only at solemnities.Rnf. 1756 Session Papers, Gibson v. Kibble (5 Jan.) 15:
He sent the Skellet Bell through the Town about it.Inv. 1779 Inv. Session Rec. (Mitchell 1902) 142:
The Precentor, either by himself or another, to Read the Lord's Word each Sabbath both forenoon and afternoon from the beginning of the Skellat Bells till that of the Minister's begin.Sc. 1806 J. Grahame Birds Scot. 37:
Creak of grinding wheels, or skillet tongue.Rnf. a.1810 R. Tannahill Poems (1900) 247:
Guidwife, ye're a skillet, your tongue's jist a bell.Lnk. 1826 R. Chambers Pop. Rhymes 141:
The bellman, or skellyman, as he is there called, used often to go through the streets of Lanark, with advertisements.Dmb. 1827 W. Taylor Poems 112:
Here lies Maggie, a skillat bell, . . . Rail'd on her neibours air and late.Ayr. 1833 J. Kennedy G. Chalmers 147:
Sent the body oot like a skirret-bell to raise siccan a hurly-burly.Ags. 1875 A. Jervise Epitaphs I. 308:
The old bell, or skellach, which was in existence within the recollection of old inhabitants.Lnk. 1910:
Your toungue's ga'en like a skellie bell!