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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SKELLIE, adj., n.¹, v, adv. Also skelly, scalie, scailie, skaley (Sc. 1874 A. Hislop Bk. Sc. Anecdote 67). [′skɛle]

I. adj. 1. Squinting, squint-eyed (Cld. 1825 Jam.; Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 266; Abd., m.(exc. Ags.) and s.Sc. 1970). Combs. skellie-e'ed, id. (Cld. 1825 Jam.; Rxb. 1897 E. Hamilton Outlaws xvii.; Uls. 1901 Northern Whig (8 May); Gall. 1904 E.D.D.; m.(exc. Ags.) and s.Sc. 1970); skellie-een puddin, jocularly for tapioca pudding (Edb. 1967).Dmf. 1752 Caled. Mercury (23 July):
45 years of Age, with his own Hair redish coloured, skelly ey'd.Per. 1857 J. Stewart Sketches 10:
His e'en, I ken, are skellie baith, an' glowre — I kenna where!Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin xi.:
Bring nane o' yer bool feet an' skellie e'en this wey.Abd. 1887 Bon-Accord (2 July) 20:
I see him, bandy-legget an' skelly-e'ed.Sc. 1939 Sc. Educ. Jnl. (27 Oct.):
They ca'ed him skelly Tamson on account o' his gleyed e'en.Gsw. 1958 C. Hanley Dancing in the Streets 139:
“What's she like — skelly eyes?” he asked.m.Sc. 1994 Martin Bowman and Bill Findlay Forever Yours, Marie-Lou 36:
The selfsame thing he's tellt you: no drink! ... Oh, but ah've goat the telephone number aff bi hert, Leopold, and soon's ah see your tongue hingin oot dribblin an yir eyes gaun skelly, ah'll be liftin that phone, then ah'll be shot ae you fur good! wm.Sc. 1996 Robin Jenkins Lunderston Tales 174:
'That was old Mr Chisolm's favourite hymn,' said Bella. 'He was superintendent of the Sunday school. Big flat-footed man with skelly eyes.'

2. Lop-sided, slanting, awry, in gen. Comb. skelly-handit, squint-, i.e. left-handed (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).Lnk. 1922 T. S. Cairncross Scot at Hame 68:
On slid and skellie stanes.

II. n. 1. A cast in the eye, squint, strabismus, a squint or sidelong glance (s.Sc. 1802 J. Sibbald Chron. Sc. Poetry Gl.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; m.(exc. Ags.) and s.Sc. 1970). Also in n.Eng. dial.Sc. 1773 Caled. Mercury (1 Sept.):
A squint or skelly in one of his eyes.Uls. 1931 Northern Whig (17 Dec.) 10:
She was an ornary, doless crater, with a skelly in wan eye.m.Sc. 1939 James Barke The Land of the Leal (1987) 397:
' ... And yon fine dochter just up frae London. Aye: and auld Telfer was having a bit skelly in our direction. You'll see: I wouldna be susprised if he doesna take a look in the night: he doesna like onything to go past him. ...'

2. An error, a going astray (Ayr., sm.Sc. 1970); an unsuccessful attempt or aim (Kcb. 1970).Uls. 1904 E.D.D.:
You made a queer skelly at it.Dmf. 1925 Trans. Dmf. and Gall. Antiq. Soc. XIII. 38:
You made a big skelly when ye landed at Chanlockfoot instead of Dalzean.

III. v. 1. To squint, be cross-eyed (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Gall., Uls. 1904 E.D.D.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Abd., em.Sc.(b), wm., sm. and s.Sc. 1970). Also in n.Eng. dial.; to glance sideways, to take a furtive look. Hence ppl.adj. skelliet, -ied, having a squint, squint-eyed; also adv. with a squint or sidelong look.Sc. 18th c. Jacobite Relics (Hogg 1821) 40:
Skellied Jock and bellied Jock.Sc. 1776 D. Herd Sc. Songs II. 171:
Tho' she did baith scalie and squint.Sc. 1816 Scott O. Mortality iv.:
Skellies fearfully with one eye?Lnk. a.1832 W. Watt Poems (1860) 89:
His right e'e doth skellie.Ayr. 1870 J. K. Hunter Life Studies 257:
Skellied in one eye.Ayr. 1896 G. Umber Ayr. Idylls 75:
It's just you that's aye leukin' at her skelliet.m.Sc. 1927 J. Buchan Witch Wood xii.:
He skellies sair wi' his left ee.Uls. 1928 Belfast Telegraph (7 July):
He keeps skellying over at me, i.e. looks covertly.

2. Fig. To look askance or jealously at.Ayr. 1794 Burns Letters (Ferguson) No. 629:
The wratch wha skellies at your weelfare.

3. To go awry or off the straight, to go aslant or away from one's objective.Dmf. 1825 Jam.:
One who does not write in a straight line, is said to skellie, or to be “a skellying blockhead.” The same is said of a ploughman who draws irregular or unequal furrows.

4. To make a mistake in a statement, to tell incorrectly, to exaggerate, “draw the long bow” (Dmf. 1894 Trans. Dmf. and Gall. Antiq. Soc. 155; Kcb. 1970).Ayr. 1790 J. Fisher Poems 118:
Sic cloaks appear still lin'd wi lies (Excuse me gif I skellie).

IV. adv. Obliquely, askance.m.Sc. 1988 William Neill Making Tracks 68:
Yince mair I scouk up tae the auld year's turnin
an luk back skelly on the twalmonth gane,
ma saul a-swither atween joy an shame
that here I pleiter on for aw ma girnin
when better men hae pit thair freens tae murnin.