Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1720-1916, 1972-1991
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FALLOW, n.1 Also falla (Ayr. 1923 Wilson Dial. Burns 162; Gall. 1951); fallie (Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 245; Lth. 1926 Id. Cent. Scot. 241; Lnk. 1928 W. C. Fraser Yelpin' Stane 175); falley (s.Sc. 1938 Border Mag. (Oct.) 154); fallih (Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 20); fellae; felly; filla; fulla; ‡follow, folla (Sh., Cai., Abd., Uls. 1952). See P.L.D. §27.1. In Cai. a geed follow is a generous person, a bad follow a niggardly one (Cai. 1907 D. B. Nicolson in County of Cai. 72). Sc. (exc. I., n.) forms of Eng. fellow. [′fɑlə, ′fɑle]Edb. 1720 A. Pennecuik Helicon 81:
Mislear'd Fallow, the meikle D—l speed him.Abd. 1755 R. Forbes Jnl. from London 28:
An honester follow never brack the nook o' a corter.Ayr. 1787 Burns Letters (ed. Ferguson) No. 112:
I hae forgather'd wi' mony a guid fallow, and monie a weelfar'd hizzie.Sc. 1824 Scott St Ronan's Well viii.:
A vara perfect blackguard, a poaching, sorning sort of fallow.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb i.:
He encountered a "stoot young folla," who . . . was determined to have sax poun' ten of fee.Sh. 1899 J. Spence Folk-Lore 243:
Be-me-sang, der as vogerous follows as edder dee or me settin' da fit afore dem i' da moarnin'.Dmf. 1915 J. L. Waugh Betty Grier 26:
In speaking of him to me she invariably refers to him as 'Nathan, puir falla', with just the slightest suggestion of commiseration in her tone.Cai. 1916 J. Mowat Cai. Proverbs 7:
"A good follow is a beggar's brither" — one that gives away that which he may require himself.Gsw. 1972 Molly Weir Best Foot Forward (1974) 200:
'He wis wan o' thae fullas wi' eyes a' sewn wi' rid worset.' wm.Sc. 1974 Roddy McMillan The Bevellers 24:
It planed right across the shop and caught this other fulla on the thigh. Gsw. 1985 Michael Munro The Patter 25:
filla A local pronunciation of fellow: 'How's the wee filla?' Your aul filla is your father. wm.Sc. 1985 Liz Lochhead Tartuffe 42:
I forgive him, no bother - but Heaven kens it's better Ah
Dinnae be seen tae have ony truck
Wi' the young filla- you're richt - wm.Sc. 1991 Liz Lochhead Bagpipe Muzak 3:
Then this familiar-lukkin felly
I'd seen a loat oan the telly
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"Fallow n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 6 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/fallow_n1>
