Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

PULLEY, n. Also pulaye, pule (Bnff. 1721 Rec. Bnff. (S.C.) 335–6), pulli-, puhlla-, polly- (Sc. 1911 S.D.D.); pillie (Bwk. 1729 R. G. Johnston Duns (1953) 75), pilly. Pl. ¶pulse. Sc. forms and usages. The pl. form is once found used as a v., pillies, to raise by means of pulleys, see 1725 quot.Gsw. 1725 Burgh Rec. Gsw. (1909) 236:
£110s. for pilliesing planks from the quier to the vyces.

Combs.: (1) pulley-brae, in Mining: “a self-acting incline” (Sc. 1886 J. Barrowman Mining Terms 53), one on which a windlass pulley is used for haulage of hutches; (2) pullishee, pulis-, puhlla-, pulleyshee, pullisee, polly-, poleshie, and ? erron. pulley-hees, a pulley of any kind, esp. a contrivance consisting of a rope running on a pole as a prop, used to hang clothes out of a window to dry (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Ags., Edb., Lnk., Ayr. 1967). The second element is the reduced form of sheave (see etym. note).(2) Fif. 1704 Rothes MSS.:
For a poleshie to the burds cage . . . 10s.Fif. 1720–30 St Andrews Univ. MSS. (St Leonards 705):
That on the top of the westmost stair they putt up a pulse bellhouse.Sc. 1724 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) II. 72:
How Wedges rive the Aik; — How Pullieses Can lift on highest Roofs the greatest Trees.Sc. 1751 Session Papers, Straton v. Renny (18 June) 6:
She fancied . . . that they were hoising her up to the Top of the Steeple by a Pulleyshie.Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch xix.:
Having fastened a kinch of ropes beneath her oxters, I let her slide down over the upper step, by way of a pillyshee.Edb. 1929 F. Grierson Haunting Edinburgh 1:
The air is a flutter with the washing that hangs from the pullishees, instruments not unlike gallows.Bwk. 1943 W. L. Ferguson Vignettes 65:
A washin' hings at the pulley-hees, Flappin' and flichterin' i' the breeze.Ags. 1963 D. Phillips Wiselike Ned 13:
Pittin' ur father's shirt oot on the puhllashee.