Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
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.

SPELL, n.², v.² Also spale; spiel; speel. Sc. form and usages:

I. n. 1. A tale, story. Also in Eng. dial.Rnf. 1791 A. Wilson Poems (1876) I. 24:
I winna plague you lang wi' my poor spale.

2. A curative charm; one worn by a person for securing some particular benefit (Sc. 1904 E.D.D.). Also in n.Eng. dial.

3. As in Eng., a magic formula, in combs. spell-wife, -woman, a woman who tells fortunes, foretells the future, prob. due to confusion with Spae, I. 1.(4) (ix), (x).Gsw. 1781 Session Papers, Rev. W. Porteous v. Izat (12 Oct.) 26:
Nelly Simson was in company with a spell-wife.Ayr. 1784 A. Edgar Old Church Life (1886) 117:
He heard James Dykes desire James Gay to come in and see if the spell woman would cut the cards, in order to find out who had stole the Lawn.ne.Sc. 1996 Claire Murray in Sandy Stronach New Wirds: An Anthology of Winning Poems and Stories from the Doric Writing Competitions of 1994 and 1995 12:
Eence apon a time a deevilock wis lonely an decided tae mak a freen. He thocht he wid like tae hiv a twin o himsel, so he looket up a speel in es beuk o speels; an conjured up a speel.

II. v. 1. To asseverate falsely; to exaggerate (Rxb. 1825 Jam.; Dmf. 1894 Trans. Dmf. and Gall. Antiq. Soc. 155; Kcb. 1971).Sc. 1774 Gentleman & Lady's Weekly Mag. (15 April) 371:
Auld-farran' tales he lo'ed to tell, But sometimes he was ken'd to spell.

2. To swear, blaspheme Kcd., m.Sc., Rxb. 1971). Hence phr. No. 1 spelling, see quot.Ayr. 1886 J. Meikle Lintie 160:
Ony amount o' No. 1 spelling (a local idiom for swearing).