Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
WHITTLE, n.2 Also whuttl(i)e; whitly. Reduced or altered forms of Eng. whitlow, an abscess round the finger-nail (Ayr. 1923 Wilson D. Burns 170, whuttlie; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein, Rxb. 1942 Zai, whuttle; Uls. 1953 Traynor; m. and s.Sc. 1974). Also in Eng. dial. For ne.Sc. forms see Futley. [′ʍɪtl(e), ′ʍʌtl(e)]Sc. 1745 J. Maclaurin Arguments (1774) 94:
A distemper incident to the thumb, vulgarly called the whittle.Sc. 1884 Scottish Reader (6 Sept.) 212:
The disease familiarly known as the whittle attacked the thumb of her right hand.Rxb. 1895 J. B. Webber Rambles 50:
[I] had tae gang Awa' wi' whittle i' the thoom.Arg. 1914 J. M. Hay Gillespie i. ix.:
She took the whittle in her thoom' an' couldna wash.
Combs.: 1. whittle-beal, -beil, -beel(ing), whuttle-bail(in), whitty-beal, id. (Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 253; Ags. 1921 T.S.D.C. IV.; I.Sc., Cai., Ags., Fif., Ayr. 1974). See Beal, v., n.1; †2. whuttle-grass, the common melilot, Melilotus officinatis (Rxb. 1825 Jam.), formerly employed in poultices and fomentations. Eng. whitlow-grass is applied to other plants used for the same purpose.1. Ags. 1895 Arbroath Guide (16 Nov.) 3:
[Her] man's been at hame for a fortnicht wi' the whittlebeil in's thoom.Sh. 1953 New Shetlander No. 35. 8:
It turned oot ta be a whittle beeling.
