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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

FLYPE, v.¹, n.¹ Also flipe, †fleip, †flyp, †fliep; fleep (Ork., Cai.) [Sc. fləip, but Ork., Cai. fli:p]

I. v. 1. tr. To fold (a covering) outwards and backwards on itself; to turn wholly or partially inside out, as a sleeve, a stocking, etc. (Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems Gl.; Sc. 1808 Jam.; Ork. 1929 Marw., fleep). Also used fig. Gen.Sc. Also in n.Eng. dial.Ags. 1821 Montrose Chronicle (12 Oct.):
Till I thought that with riching I should have been turned inside out, like a flipit stockin.Sc. 1834 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) IV. 138:
Purple plush jacket wi' . . . haun-cuffs fliped to gie the wrists room to play.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin vi.:
I . . . flypit up the remainin' tail underneath, fastenin' it to the neck linin' wi' a preen.Sc. 1896 Stevenson W. of Hermiston vi.:
“Miss Christina, if you please, Mr. Weir!” says I, and just flyped up my skirt tails.Gsw. 1904 “H. Foulis” Erchie i.:
Efter this Erchie MacPherson's gaun to flype his ain socks.Bnff. 1934 J. M. Caie Kindly North 11:
Still an' on, it's gey an sair tae be strippit, flypit, bare, Efter trauchlin' i' the yird for fifty year.Bch. 1946 J. C. Milne Orra Loon 34:
He flypit his pooches but a' he cou'd fin' Was a spunk wi' the head broken aff.wm.Sc. 1984 Liz Lochhead Dreaming Frankenstein 62:
So she turned his riddles inside out easily
like someone flyping pairs of socks ...

Comb.: †fleip-eyed, with the eyelids turned outwards, hence staring-eyed, like a dead person.Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 218:
I will sooner see you fleip-ey'd, like a French Cat. A disdainful rejecting of an unworthy Proposal; spoken by bold Maids to the vile offers of young Fellows.

2. tr. To ruffle, tear off (the skin) in strips, to peel (Mry. 1813 W. Leslie Agric. Mry. Gl.; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 206; Sh., Cai., ne.Sc., Arg., Kcb., Dmf., Rxb. 1952).Sc. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Shep. iv. i.:
And ten sharp Nails, that when my Hands are in, Can flyp the Skin o' ye'r Cheeks out o'er your Chin.Slg. 1862 D. Taylor Poems 147:
An' sude the frog-eaters come owre in their wrath . . . The skin o' their nebs we wad flype, Sir.Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.:
I flipet da skin aff a mi finger.

3. To pluck (wool from) a sheepskin and make a fleece of it (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Rxb. 1951). Hence phrs. a flipit skin, to flipe 'oo (Id.); comb. flipe-'oo, wool thus treated (Rxb. 1901 N.E.D.; 1923 Watson W.-B.).

4. intr. To curl itself; to curl the lip with displeasure; to hang down in shreds, of torn skin; to peel, of bark, skin, etc. Rare.Abd. 1804 W. Tarras Poems 71:
Sae may ye skook yir brow an' skool, An' flypin hing yir head ay.Sc. 1824 J. Wilson Tournay i.:
It flypes easier aff the timmer than it would do frae ony face of clay.Sc. 1827 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) II. 29:
At every stripe o' the inevitable . . . whang, the skin flipes aff frae nape to hurdies.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin viii.:
He couldna get his tongue to flype roond the words.Sc. 1883 J. Kennedy Poems (1920) 127:
The skin hung flypin' down the sides In wrinkles lang an' slack.

II. n. 1. A fold, brim, flap or turn-up of a garment (Sc. 1808 Jam.), e.g. of a sleeve, trouser-leg (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.; Sh.¹³ 1952); the coat-tails; a shred of clothing (Ork. 1929 Marw.).Sc. c.1690 in Hogg Jacobite Relics I. 24:
Wi' his back boonermost, An' his kyte downermost, An' his flype hindermost, [of one sea-sick].Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry 66:
His stockins, o' het paste the types, Cam' flappin' owr his shoon in flypes.Sh. 1899 Shet. News (4 Feb.):
Da flype o' me night-kjaep.

2. The cutting of a strip of skin; a shred or loose piece of skin (Cai. 1900 E.D.D.; Ork.², Cai.⁷, Fif.¹⁰ 1945); a shred of anything; “the pendulous lip of a wound” (Rnf. 1837 Crawfurd MSS. X. 50).Fif. 1703 E. Henderson Ann. Dunfermline (1879) 374:
The magistrates and counsellours . . . discharges all manner of cutting or carving of kine or oxen, except only on[e] fliep or of the soulders.Ib.:
Except . . . a fliep in the rumpell.Ork. 1929 Marw.:
They war a great fleep o' skin hingan fae the cut on his hand.Cai. 1992 James Miller A Fine White Stoor 195:
' ... News like a new balloon, and soon all the wind escapes and all ye've got is a flipe o useless rubber. Magnus is like a bairn wi a new toy.'

3. A skin rash (Rs. 1952), phs. because the skin appears flayed.