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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SWIRLIE, adj. Also swirly, swurlie, sorly; ¶skwirly. [′swɪrli]

1. Having a marked curl or coil, esp. of the hair, curly, frizzy, crisp (Sh., Ayr., Wgt. 1972).Ayr. 1833 J. Kennedy G. Chalmers 252:
Stan' up here, Gibby Macgowan. A braw swurly tyke ye are.Abd. 1847 Gill Binklets 39:
Others, upon looking at his head, which was unusually sorly, remarked that he would aspire to great things.e.Lth. 1885 S. Mucklebackit Rural Rhymes 31:
Cockit luggies, curly Lang tail, an' swirly.Ayr. 1912 G. Cunningham Verse 215:
His hair is swirly, black and curly .

2. Of wood: with twists in the grain, knotty, gnarly (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Sh., Cai., Abd. 1972); of rock: knobby, lumpy, with an uneven grain (Ork. 1929 Marw., s(k)wirly). Hence comb. swirlie maggie, see 1845 quot. and Maggie, n.²Ayr. 1785 Burns Halloween xxiii .:
A swirlie, auld moss-oak.s.Sc. 1809 T. Donaldson Poems 13:
I wad come smack amang his louses, Wi' swirlie stick.w.Lth. 1845–7 Trans. Highl. Agric. Soc. 234:
Irregular nodular protuberances of ironstone, which are named by the workmen “swirliemaggies.”Sh. 1949 J. Gray Lowrie 61:
Hits wid o' a kind, hit wis juista bit a' swirly trash.

3. Tangled, twisted, ravelled; “applied to grass that lies in various positions, so that it cannot easily be cut by the scythe” (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Sh., Kcb. 1972). Also fig. obscure, complicated, abstruse; contrary.Rxb. 1807 J. Ruickbie Wayside Cottager 187:
Then, swirly fortune, frown an' fight.m.Lth. 1895 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick 156:
Thae la'yers screeds are unco swirlie, an' ye canna gae straucht at the meanin o' them.