Show Search Results Show Browse

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

WHIRLIWHA, n., v. Also whirly-wha, whirliewha(w), whurliwha, whurlywa. [′ʍɪrlɪ′ʍɑ]

I. n. A gewgaw, piece of fanciful ornamentation; in music: a trill, a series of grace-notes, an appoggiatura.Ayr. 1824 Galt Rothelan viii.:
There's mair gold about the whirli-whaw o' that ae buttonhole than in the whole bouk o' a rose noble.
Gsw. 1863 H. Macdonald Poems 93:
Your Tamburinnis and your Grisis, Wi' a' their whirly-whas and graces.
Gsw. 1877 A. G. Murdoch Laird's Lykewake 77:
The rumble-tumble flittin' day, it's aye a day o' steer; It's then we see oor neebor folks turn out their whirliwha's.
Ayr. 1927 J. Carruthers A Man Beset i. ii.:
Holy water and rosaries and such-like whirliewhas.
Sc. 1935 W. Soutar Poems in Sc. 40:
Her whurlywas [of a wren] Breel'd owre the caller braes.

II. v. To flatter, to deceive by flattery, to gull (Lth. 1880 Jam.). Vbl.n. whirliewhain.Sc. 1822 A. Sutherland Cospatrick II. vii.:
It does ane's heart gude to see how ye whurliwha a' round ye.
Edb. 1872 J. Smith Jenny Blair 69:
“Nane o' yer whirliewha'in wi' me,” says I; “mind I wasna born yesterday.”

[A conflation of whirly, Whirl, III. and Whillywha.]

You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.

"Whirliwha n., v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 22 Nov 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/whirliwha>

29408

snd

Hide Advanced Search

Browse SND:

    Loading...

Share: