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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

SKROIL, n. Also scrual, scroil, skroll (Jak.). A crash; hence the fragments into which a hard object is shattered by falling, esp. in phr. to lay in skroil, to break into pieces, smash (Sh. 1970). [skro(i)l]Sh. 1897 Shetland News (13 Nov.):
Hits' dee 'at's layin' da wheel in skroil. Doo's shürely knappit da fit-tree.Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
I heard de skroll o' it.Sh. 1956 Sh. Community Mag. No. 2. 10:
Da lamp wis laid in scroil.

[Etym. uncertain. Jak. supposes that the orig. meaning indicated the crash of the shattered object and refers the word to Norw. dial. skroll, din, noise, bawling. Cf. Skrell.]

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