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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.

Quotation dates: 1813

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SPINXIE, n. Some kind of hobgoblin or demon, seen as an apparition.Rnf. 1813 G. MacIndoe Wandering Muse 161:
What think ye o' the spinxie breed They've e'en a knack to start the dead!

[If the reading is correct, prob. an invention of MacIndoe, who has a number of nonce words, poss. based on sphinx, pixy or the like. But the form may be a mistake or misprint for spuikie, spuckie, spooky, ghost-like.]

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"Spinxie n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/spinxie>

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