Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
TALLIE, n. Also tally; and in fuller forms †Taliant, talian-, tallin-. Also attrib. Sc. reduced forms and usages of Eng. Italian. [′tɑle]
1. An Italian (Abd. c.1847 Greig and Keith Last Leaves (1925) 75, Taliant), now only in jocular or disparaging use esp. in reference to a vendor of ice-cream, fish and chips, or the like. Gen.Sc.Abd. 1928 Weekly Jnl. (30 Aug.) 6:
We'se tak' them intull a Tallie's shop an' gie them a cup [of ice-cream].Gsw. 1947 J. F. Hendry Fernie Brae 84:
Iyi comin' tae the Tally's for pea-brae?Gsw. 1980 Christine Marion Fraser Blue Above the Chimneys (1985) 54:
From time to time we were all keen to map out various schemes for making money to allow us to add a few luxuries to our lives, one of them being the delicious ice-cream cones from the 'tallies' at the corner. Gsw. 1990 John and Willy Maley From the Calton to Catalonia 22:
Ye know, it said in the papers that when the jerries and the tallies come in their bombers the sky's black wae them. Gsw. 1991 John Burrowes Mother Glasgow 146:
There were mobile grocers, mobile fruit shops, mobile bakers and mobile ice cream stalls, with all the usual range of fripperies and delights previously unavailable back in the old suburbs from the corner shops they knew as the 'Tallies'. wm.Sc. 1991 Bill Sutherland in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 146:
Wae no wan Brylcreemt her agley,
an Tally shoes, an tie-clip tae, Sc. 1991 Scotsman 14 Dec 9:
In Scotland, the "tallies" became synonymous with those little cafes, confectionery stores or fish and chip shops which were to be found in every community. m.Sc. 1994 Mary McCabe Everwinding Times 140:
" ... He'd helped my Daddy out a lot when his chip shop ran into trouble during the war. There was a lotta hooliganism in those days, you know, a bit of anti-Tally feeling ..." w.Lth. 2000 Davie Kerr A Puckle Poems 5:
An things wur gaun that wey,
ye wurnae shair o yir pey
an the wife goat a new colour telly
an wellies for oor wee Ellie
an fish suppers fae the tallies
2. In combs. Tallie's blood, raspberry-flavoured syrup poured over ice cream, orig. only used by Italian ice cream vendors, tally-heater, the small heater or poker for a goffering iron (Rxb. 1930), tally-iron, talian-, tallin-, an Italian or goffering iron for making frills on lace, etc. (Fif., Lth. 1926 Wilson Cent. Scot. 269, tallin-; Cai. 1934, Uls. 1953 Traynor, talian-; Fif., Lnk., Rxb. 1972). Also in Eng. dial. Also used as a v., to goffer (a lace-cap); s.Sc. 1894 Scots Mag. (Oct.) 346:
The white tally-ironed cap. Gsw. 1948 Edward Gaitens Dance of the Apprentices (1990) 49:
'A Tallie's blood, Joe, an' a small Woodbine!' ... Donald presented the Woodbine to Eddy and attacked with refreshed appetite the Tallie's blood, a big glass of gauchy ice-cream, scarlet with raspberry essence.Sc. 1990 Sunday Times 4 Feb :
A youngster might say ''plenty of Tally's blood'' to the owner of an ice cream shop in Hamilton, referring to the plastic bottle of raspberry sauce on the counter.Sc. 2003 Sunday Herald 9 Mar 10:
In fact, Tally's blood is an old Scottish nickname for the raspberry sauce served with ice cream cones by immigrant Italians.Gsw. 2005:
An ice-cream cone dripping with Tallie's blood.
