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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

BUBBLE, BIBBLE, n. and v. [bʌbl Sc.; bɪbl ne.Sc. See P.L.D. § 60.1]

1. n.

Sc. form of Eng. bubble.  Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 87:
At thon verra meenit, the braze briered; syne frae neuks an crannies raise a raw o air bibbles that stoppit aa at eence, tae stert again someitherwyes.

Sc. usages:

(1) Mucus from the nose. Gen. used in pl. Gen.Sc.Sc. 1825 Jam.²:
Dight the bubbles frae your nose, wean.ne.Sc. 1881 W. Gregor Riddles in Folk-Lore of N.-E. Scot. 82:
“Would ye raither lie on a bed o' bibbles or a bed of scarlet?” “The bed of scarlet means hell.”

(2) Spittle (Cai.⁷ 1936, bubble).Abd.(D) 1785 R. Forbes Ulysses Answer in Sc. Poems 29:
How foul's the bibble he spits out Fan he ca's me a fugee!

(3) A bout of weeping. Sc. 1996 Scotland on Sunday 15 Sep 11:
Christine fetched a birthday cake that had been held behind the bar. Everyone sang 'Happy Birthday' and Patricia was about to start greetin'. "I feel a bubble coming on."Edb. 2003:
Ah dinnae care if ye want a wee bubble - it'll no mak things ony better.Gsw. 1987 Peter Mason C'mon Geeze Yer Patter! 51:
Ah jist felt like hivvin a wee bubble tae masel. I just felt like being on my own and quietly weeping.

2. v. “To shed tears in a snivelling, blubbering, and childish way” (Sc. 1825 Jam.²); mostly found as ppl.adj. and vbl.n. Gen.Sc.Sc. 1999 Herald 12 Apr 9:
Her charge could do not better than eleventh. Jenny had tried hard not to bubble but when the sponsors came up with a diamond brooch to mark her going, it was too much. She was a larger-than-life character and will be sorely missed by many. Sc. 2000 Herald 8 Jul 19:
Well, Taylor has been dispensing with bass players' services, on some gigs, for a while now, but he's now making more than the guitar players in his audiences bubble in these solo concerts. Sc. 2002 Sunday Mail 8 Sep 18:
STOP BUBBLIN', YA WEE JESSIE: Please, sir, don't cry.Abd. 1824 G. Smith Douglas, etc. 11:
Greetin' again, the d. . .l pick out your een, Was ever sic a bibblin carlin seen?Abd. 1993:
God! Lassie, ye'd bibble at naething.wm.Sc. 1928 J. Corrie The Last Day, etc. 70:
Chuck that bubblin, noo — d'ye hear?wm.Sc. 1998 Alan Warner The Sopranos (1999) 30:
She smiled at her Old Dear who, like having a sneezy fit, burst out, just bubbling and bubbling and no ways would've Orla too less bloody Old Dear hadn't and gone to.Ayr. 1890 J. Service Thir Notandums 74:
The first ane yokit on [attacked] him and sent him hame bubblin.

In phr.: to bubble (bibble) an(d) greet, “denoting the act of crying or weeping, properly as conjoined with an effusion of mucus from the nostrils” (Sc. 1825 Jam.²). Bch. 1930 P. Giles in Abd. Univ. Review (March) 109:
Fat's wrang wi' ye, Mary, at ye'r bibblin' an' greetin' 'at wy?Lnk. 1727 P. Walker Remarkable Passages 60:
John Knox . . . left her (Queen Mary) bubbling and greeting, and came to an outer Court where her Lady Maries were fyking and dancing.