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: 1851-1996
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SMOOL, v.1, n.1 Also smuil, smule (Jam.), smewl-. Derivs. smool(y)ie, smoolach, -ich, smulach, smoolet. [smul]
I. v. 1. To slink, sneak, go about furtively (Lth. 1825 Jam., to smuil awa'). Adj. smoolie, slinking, furtive in one's movements. Derivs. smoolachin, smulachin, smewlikin, puny-looking, hang-dog (n.Sc. 1825 Jam.), shabby, slovenly (Kcd. 1911), sly (Mry., Bnff., Abd. 1921 T.S.D.C.; ne.Sc. 1970); smoolet, a sneak, deceitful person (Abd. 1921 T.S.D.C., Abd.4 1931).Sc. 1925 “Domsie” Sc. Poems MSS.:
Wee smoolie moosie Wi' mooth fu' o' cheese.Abd.15 1930:
Ye smoolachin taid, fat sly trick will ye be up til neist?Fif. 1933 J. Ressich Thir Braw Days 57:
He smools oot o' the hoose in the middle o' the nicht.Sc. 1935 W. Soutar Poems in Sc. 42:
She smool'd saftly thru the mirk.m.Sc. 1991 Donald Goodbrand Saunders in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 137:
Syne ye'll smool in be the stable yett
And speir at the stable lad,
Whilk o King Duncan's twa dochters
Is lookan tae be wad? m.Sc. 1996 John Murray Aspen 6:
Syne Ah met wi Dodd Fox,
but he slippit me a sleikit luik
an smooled intil a syke,
2. To behave obsequiously, to curry favour, to fawn, wheedle, ingratiate oneself, esp. in phr. to smule in wi, to cajole (a person), to “suck up to” (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Ags. 1970). Also in deriv. or intensive forms smoolie, smoolyie, ¶smolly, id.; of a child: to snuggle up, to show affection (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Ags. (smoolich), Per., Fif. 1970) and fig.; smoolach, see II. Adj. smoolie, wheedling, ingratiating.Sc. 1851 Tait's Mag. (Aug.) 461:
Smollying [sic] wi' silly women till they get them to marry them.Sc. 1852 Tait's Mag. (Feb.) 80:
He's aye smoolying in wi' the gentry.Rxb. 1897 J. C. Dibdin Border Life 83:
What wi' that an' the bairn smooling in at me, I must hae gane intil a kind o' a sleep.Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 4:
Smuillin-in laeuch at the brae-fit, little Bosells beekeet i the sun.Sc. 1931 J. Lorimer Red Sergeant vii.:
It's easy seen ye're Hielant, wi' yer smoolyin' weys.Edb. 1965:
She's aye smooliein in. I dinna like smoolie folk.
3. tr. To remove stealthily, abstract, pilfer, to filch (Slk. 1825 Jam.). Now only in liter. use.Sc. 1935 W. Soutar Poems in Sc. 49:
They [worms] smool'd awa the mervy pith Wi' monie a mauchy mouth.Sc. 1936 J. G. Horne Flooer o' Ling 52:
To smool the fears awa.
II. n. In deriv. smoolach: 1. a faint smile, a smirk. Cf. I. 2.Ags. 1882 Brechin Advert. (12 Dec.) 3:
Wi' a bit smoolach o' a smile he speerd.Ags. 1899 C. Sievwright Garland 21:
But a' my coortin was in vain, I cudna get a smoolach fae 'er.
2. A wheedler, freq. of a child (Ags. 1970); a diminutive or insignificant person (Abd. 1921 T.S.D.C.; ne.Sc. 1970). Cf. I. 1. or 2.Abd. 1922 Swatches o' Hamespun 87:
A smoolach o' a carlie staviet in the idder day.
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"Smool v.1, n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/smool_v1_n1>
