Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1701-1942
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SOOPLE, n., v. Also souple, suple; soopel (Sh.); swoople; supple; sipple. Sc. forms and usages of Eng. swipple. [′supəl]
I. n. ‡1. The striking part of a flail, which beats the grain (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Uls. c.1840 W. Lutton Montiaghisms (1924); Sh. 1914 Angus Gl., supel; Uls. 1953 Traynor; I. and n.Sc. 1971). Also in Eng. dial.; a pliant rod (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). Ppl.adj. soupled, of a flail: having a soople. Combs.: Eskdale souple, see Eskdale Souple; ¶supple-driver, a flailman, a grain-thresher.Sc. 1701 Household Bk. Lady G. Baillie (S.H.S.) 9:
For 2 sives and 2 ridles 1 li. 10s. suples 8s.Ork. 1728 H. Marwick Merchant Lairds (1936) I. 139:
Pleughs, birks, shoovells, souples.Lnk. a.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 16:
He gets an auld flail and rives away the supple.Sc. 1787 Farmer's Mag. (March 1810) 58:
Aff the stage the warld shall hiss The Supple-Driver!Hebr. 1794 R. Heron General View of the Hebrides 14:
The flail, consisting of a polished hand-staff, and a supple, thicker, shorter, and often knotty, . . . is the instrument for threshing.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 49:
The swoople on the end of the hand-staff being whirled round on the barn-floor by the barnman.Per. a.1843 D. M. Forrester Logiealmond (1944) 116:
Bundles of eel-skins, for attaching the 'souple' of a threshing-flail to the 'hand-staff' thereof.Rxb. 1847 J. Halliday Rustic Bard 214:
A thick aiken soople he grip't in his neive.Gall. 1889 Bards Gall. (Harper) 50:
An airn-soupled Galloway flail.Sh. 1916 J. Burgess Rasmie's Smaa Murr (November 23):
Da boy's croon kens a ill swing o da soopel.Ork. 1920 J. Firth Reminisc. 18:
It was quite a common thing at a first attempt to strike the cupple-baulks with the soople, and the rebound invariably raised on the head of the flailman bumps that defied the skill of the most expert phrenologist.Abd. 1920 A. Robb MS. ii.:
He hadna threshen twa fleers fan's supple fell oot owre's back; the hidden had broken.Uls. 1942 E. E. Evans Irish Heritage 125:
In Antrim the souple is flung round the head while in Donegal it is kept to the side of the body.
2. Only in Scott: a cudgel, a club, a stout stick.Sc. 1815 Scott Guy M. xxv.:
If you and I were at the Withershins' Latch, wi' ilka ane a gude oak souple in his hand.Sc. 1819 Scott Bride of Lamm. xxxiv.:
If I tak my souple t' ye, I'll gar ye find the road faster than ye wad like.Sc. 1827 Scott Two Drovers i.:
They had their broadswords and I have this bit supple, (showing a formidable cudgel).
II. v. To beat severely, to thrash. Vbl.n. sooplan, a severe beating, a thrashing (Gregor). But phs. rather an extended usage of Souple.Ags. 1825 J. Ross Sermon 26:
Sair your sides [of flax] the shilvants sipplet.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 174:
Gehn ye dinna haud yir ill-hung tung, a'll soople the back o' ye.
