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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.

GOLLIE, v., n. Also goll(e)y, gullie, †goolly, and deriv. †gollies. [′gɔle]

I. v. 1. “To bawl at the top of the voice” (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 68; Bnff., Cld. 1880 Jam.; Abd., Dmf. 1954), to roar, make a loud noise; to howl, bark loudly (of a dog); to scold (Ayr. 1825 Jam., gollies; ‡Ayr.⁴ 1928). Vbl.n. goll(y)in, a scolding (Ayr. 1954).Cai. 1776 Weekly Mag. (25 Jan.) 145:
Syne turnin' up her wild unwarldly een. She goolly'd out, that in the lift she saw Britannia fightin' wi' America.Ayr. 1790 J. Fisher Poems 70:
Wi' apen mouth they [dogs] then began To bark an' golley.Bch. 1832 W. Scott Poems 145:
There's evermair a rabble rout . . . That gollie like a herd o' nout, Wi' deevin' noise.Kcb. 1894 Crockett Raiders xviii.:
We heard behind us still the wrathful gollying of the great voice yet unappeased.Ayr. 1913 J. Service Memorables xxiii.:
The Water Kelpie's roar, the wrathful gollying of an angry voice.Abd. 1914 J. Cranna Fraserburgh 135:
Fu' mony a Sawbath, ook by ook, The Sooter gollied sair, As, keepin' stot wi' heed and buik, He warstled wi' the air.w.Dmf. 1917 J. L. Waugh Cute McCheyne 156:
Ye've to golly here and wheedle there juist as the case needs it.

2. “To burst into tears with a great noise” (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff.; Abd.²⁷ 1954). Ppl.adj. golliein', “given to much loud crying; commonly used of children” (Gregor).

II. n. 1. A roar, a fierce bark, a bawling (Dmf. 1825 Jam.; Abd.²⁷ 1954); (gullie Bnff. 2000s); a scolding (Dmf. 1954).Abd. 1767 Abd. Jnl. N. & Q. I. 121:
“What's that?” he gae a golly.Dmf. 1834 Carlyle Letters (Norton) II. 249:
The kind of bark (what we Annandale people call a goust or gollie) coming from two thousand voices, at any sound or mention of Toryism and its insults, was grand to hear.Abd. 1993:
A gullie o a roar. A gullie o a laach.

2. A loud-voiced bawling person (Dmf. 1954).