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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

WALLOP, v., n. Also wallap (Edb. 1910 Scotsman (9 Sept.)), wallup, walop; willop (Ayr. 1817 D. McKillop Poems 28, 95). Sc. forms and usages. [′wɑləp, ′wǫləp]

I. v. 1. intr. To gallop. Obs. in Eng. since 15th c. Hence in gen., to move at speed, esp. with one's limbs flying and clothes fluttering about one (Sc. 1710 T. Ruddiman Gl. to Douglas Aeneis; n.Sc. 1808 Jam.; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 206; Uls. 1953 Traynor; Abd., Ags., Per. 1973). Phrs. to gar it wallop, to get a move on, to get work done quickly, to make things hum; to wallop at, to put all one's energies into (Sh., Cai. 1973).Sc. 1724 Ramsay T.-T. Misc. (1876) I. 75:
In glens the fairies skip and dance, And witches wallop o'er to France.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Works (S.T.S.) 155:
'Tis now we should work like a tyger, An' at it baith wallop an' ca'.Ags. 1826 A. Balfour Highland Mary III. vii.:
“I must have a letter dispatched to Edinburgh by first post.” “Ye'll need to gar your fingers wallop then.”Ayr. 1901 G. Douglas Green Shutters vii.:
I'll dash about the country in a gig wi' two dogs wallopping ahin'.Abd. 1929 J. Alexander Mains & Hilly 141:
Some o' the wives cud gar't wallop, tho'. Sal, there's some weemen o' yon day cud dee their wark, an' dee't tichtly tee.

2. To make violent struggling or convulsive movements, to jerk or thrash about with the limbs, flop, flounder (Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.; Per., Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1915–26 Wilson). Gen.Sc., also in Eng. dial.; to caper; to dance vigorously. Also fig. Vbl.n. walloping. Phr. to wallop in a tether, -tow, to be hanged.Ayr. 1785 Burns To W. Simpson xvii.:
May envy wallop in a tether.Ayr. 1792 Burns Weary Pund o' Tow iv.:
And or I wad anither jad, I'll wallop in a tow.Abd. 1824 G. Smith Douglas 96:
Nae leather nor bane we are prizing, But wallop like wud till we tire.Sc. 1833 M. Scott T. Cringle's Log xvi.:
The rushing and walloping of numberless fishes.Ags. 1896 A. Blair Rantin Robin 44:
An auld fule like you ploiterin an' wallopin aboot amang a puckle bairns.m.Sc. 1917 J. Buchan Poems 46:
Till sair fordone he [a fish] cam to book And walloped in a shallow crook.Kcd. 1929 J. B. Philip Weelum o' the Manse 25:
A tried to follow him [a preacher], but a seen gied it up and than lat him wallop awa'.

3. Of the heart or blood: to throb or beat violently (I., n.Sc., Per. 1973).Per. 1766 A. Nicol Poems 21:
My heart will midge-like dance and reel, But wallop, as Meg i' the Skeel, In jolly nature.Peb. 1805 J. Nicol Poems I. 141:
Around her waist my arm I laid; My heart begude to wallop.Rnf. 1813 E. Picken Poems I. 97:
Whan the tide o' youthfu' bluid Thro' a' yer heartstrings wallops.

4. (1) intr. To move to and fro, to wave, flap, dangle, flutter, swing, shake (Uls. c.1840 W. Lutton Montiaghisms (1924): Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 206; Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1923–26 Wilson; I., n.Sc., Per. 1973); of the tongue: to wag; to bubble, of boiling water (Slg. 1973). Also in n.Eng. dial.Slk. 1822 Hogg Three Perils Man (1972) xxix.:
Saluting the far loin of his mare with an energy that made all his accoutrements wallop.Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry 64:
The town's colours, in their sheen, Wallop't and shimmer't in the air.Edb. 1829 G. Wilson Sc. Laverock 170:
[To] gar his puddens wallop Within his wame.e.Lth. 1887 P. McNeill Blawearie 15:
How to keep his nether garments from walloping behind him.Per. 1893 R. M. Fergusson My Village 142:
Ye'll better no bring yer lang, walloping tongue ower me.Ags. 1910 J. Lee Poems 50:
A whirr o' wings, a clash o' scales, An awesome wallopin' o' tails.Bnff. 1920 Banffshire Jnl. (14 Dec.):
He wallaps wi' his airms wi' micht an' main.Sc. 1926 H. M'Diarmid Drunk Man 18:
The aucht-fit thistle wallops on hie.

(2) tr. in the above sense; “to dash with swinging force” (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 206). Phr. to wallop the tongue, to speak volubly, to scold.Gall. 1881 J. K. Scott Gall. Gleanings 105:
Her tongue she wallops wi' a birr Ilk 'oor in a' the day.Abd. 1882 W. Alexander My Ain Folk 227:
The hapless geet crowed and “walloped” its small limbs in the superabundance of its joy.

(3) To perform (a dance) with great vigour.Rnf. a.1810 R. Tannahill Poems (1900) 203:
He vows that he'll wallop twa sets wi the howdie.

5. As in colloq. Eng., to beat, thrash. Ppl.adj. walloping, strikingly great, “whopping”. Also in Eng. dial.; agent n. walloper, a big specimen, a thumper (Cai. 1973).Ayr. 1823 Galt Entail c.:
Watty's [wedding] was a walloping galravitch o' idiocety.

II. n. 1. A fast pace, a flurry, a quick movement, esp. with one's clothes fluttering about one (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Uls. 1953 Traynor); the sound of such (Jam.).

2. (1) A violent jerky movement, a floundering, plunge, convulsive heaving (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Sh., ne.Sc., Ags. 1973). Phr. to play wallop, to thrash about, to tumble over (Ags., Per. 1973).Sc. 1820 Scott Abbott xv.:
Some caprioles of the hobby-horse, and some wallops of the dragon.Sc. 1831 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) III. 301:
He [a salmon] turned up, as he played wallop, a side like a house!Sc. 1833 M. Scott T. Cringle's Log xvi.:
Bang gave another struggle, or wallop, like a pelloch in shoal-water.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin xii.:
I made a desperate jump an' landit on the tap o' the wa'. Another wallop an' I wad be ower the railin' an' aff to the hills.Edb. 1866 J. Smith Merry Bridal 19:
He heels-owre-heid played wallop.

(2) a leap, bound or figure in a lively dance (Slg., Lnk. 1973).Rnf. a.1810 R. Tannahill Poems (1900) 203:
[To] gie us three wallops o merry shantrews.Dmf. 1898 J. Paton Castlebraes 65:
Thae heathenish wallops, less than half decent, an' mair than half deidly, tae a' delicate-minded men an' women!Abd. 1962 Buchan Observer (23 Oct.):
It is known as “Ledderum-Patch” or “The Tinker's Wallop,” and was performed by two men, one dressed as a woman, and both as tinkers.

(3) a constant to-and-fro motion, a wagging (of the tongue) (Sh., Abd. 1973). Cf. I. 4.Abd. 1884 D. Grant Keckleton 110:
Ritchie Cameron had to bide the wallop o' Bell's tongue mornin', noon, an' nicht.

(4) a hasty sweeping or scooping motion, a swipe (see quot.).Peb. 1793 R. Brown Comic Poems (1817) 133:
Offeran' for twae-pence, heapt, Twae dips and a wallop, to gi'e. Note: two dips of the stoup measure, and a few skimmed from the top of the basket of nuts, or small fruit, with the measure besides.

3. A powerful beat of the heart or pulse, a throb (Sh., Per. 1973). Phr. to play wallop, to throb, pulsate violently (Ags. 1973).Ayr. 1787 Burns To Unco Guid iv.:
Think, when your castigated pulse Gies now and then a wallop, What ragings must his veins convulse.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 484:
I thought it [my heart] wad hae jumped clean out o' my brisket; lord! what wallops it gaed.Abd. 1893 G. MacDonald Songs 17:
Mally's hert played wallop.

4. A fluttering rag, (an article of) ragged clothing (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 206; Abd., Ags. 1973). Cf. tatterwallop s.v. Tatter, n.¹Sc. 1745 D. Nicholas Intercepted Post (1956) 116:
I had not one thread upon me when I came but an old walop I got from Alexander Ramsay.Ags. 1776 C. Keith Farmer's Ha' 14:
Beggars they come in gelore, Wi' wallops flapping in great store.Abd. 1832 W. Scott Poems 4:
Hae ye draggel't a' your wee dud sark? . . . Cast aff the wallop now, my dainty pet.Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond B. Bowden (1922) 96:
A dyed wallop o' a frock.Abd. 1961 People's Jnl. (26 Aug.) 3:
Their claes waur torn wi' wallops left hingin' on the pikey weer.

5. A gangling loose-limbed person (Ags. 1973). Uls. has a wallop of a horse = a loose-limbed horse, wallopy, loose-limbed (Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.).Ags. 1887 Arbroath Guide (23 April) 3:
A great big, saft wallop o' a chiel.

III. adv. With a heavy dash, with a quick fluttering motion (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 206); thump! crash! Phr. to gae wallop, to go thump! (Sh., n.Sc., Per. 1973).m.Lth. 1860 E. B. Ramsay Reminisc. 67:
Juist when e'er I pat my fit in the boat, the boat gie wallop.Slg. 1885 W. Towers Poems 182:
Sic a farce when souple Tam Gaed wallop ower the stile.Abd. 1946 J. C. Milne Orra Loon 13:
His swuppert tongue Gid wallop roon sic maist onchancy words.