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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.

‡WHILLYWHA, v., n., adj. Also whilli(e)-, whully-; -whaa, -whaw, -whae, -wa; ¶willie-wa (Sc. 1905 E.D.D.). [′ʍɪlɪ′ʍɑ:]

I. v. 1. tr. To wheedle, coax, cajole (a person for something or a thing from a person) (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Per. 1974); also absol. or intr. Vbl.n., ppl.adj. whillywhain, wheedling, cajoling.Sc. 1816 Scott O. Mortality xl.:
He canna whilliwhaw me as he's dune mony a ane.Sc. 1823 Scott St Ronan's Well xiv.:
Nane o' your whullywhaing, Mr Bindloose.Edb. 1844 J. Ballantine Miller xix.:
Cauldwell been at him wi' his whilly-whaain' lees.Slg. 1876 A. B. Grosart Wilson's Poems I. xxix.:
Whether selling out of the pack, or whilly-wain a nicht's shelter and a cog o' brose.Sc. 1893 Stevenson Catriona xv.:
The fower lads stared at ither, an' tried to whilly-wha him to be quiet.Sc. 1901 H. Wallace Greatest of These i.:
A generation that canna read the signs o' the times, but is as easy whillie-wha'd as a wheen silly bairns.

†2. To talk as lovers, to exchange sweet nothings in sweethearting.Sc. 1823 Scott Quentin Durward xxxi.:
Two young things whilly-whawing in ilk other's ears.

II. n. 1. A flatterer, an insincere sycophantic person, one who deceives by wheedling or fawning (Sc. 1825 Jam.); an unreliable shuffling fellow, one who shilly-shallies, a time-server (Sc. 1808 Jam.).Sc. 1714 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 15:
Alas he's gane and left it a'! May be to some sad Whilliwhaw O' fremit Blood.Sc. 1758 “Claudero” Poems 15:
These foreign Quacks are Whillie-whaws, Keep your Fish-guts to your Sea-maws.Slk. 1826 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) I. 119:
The lisp's sae bairnly; but you soon begin to suspec a whilly-wha.Lth. 1883 M. Oliphant It was a Lover iv.:
Ye're a whillie whaw — ye speak awfu' fair and look awfu' pleasant.Ayr. 1913 J. Service Memorables 46:
Challenged to a duel by some whilly-wha o' an Englisher.

2. Flattery, cajolery, wheedling talk, blandishments (s.Sc. 1825 Jam.; Ags. 1930; Kcd. 1974).Sc. 1816 Scott O. Mortality v.:
Blawing in a woman's lug wi' a' your whilly-wha's.Sc. 1845 Edb. Tales (Johnstone) I. 172:
This is nae whilly-wha o' a love letter.Sc. 1893 Stevenson Catriona ii.:
Hut! none of your whillywhas!Sc. 1901 N. Munro Doom Castle xxxvii.:
A wumman that's owre muckle ta'en up i' the noo wi' the whillywhaes o' a French sneckdrawer.

3. An evasive excuse, hesitation. indecisiveness, dithering.Ags. 1826 A. Balfour Highland Mary I. xi.:
Nae mair whilly whas, lads; but get ready.Edb. 1915 T. W. Paterson Auld Saws 131:
The grainin an' the gruntin kind, Wi' a' their whillywha.

III. adj., from n. used attrib.: flattering. glib, deceitful, “not to be depended upon” (Sc. 1825 Jam.).Sc. 1824 Scott Redgauntlet xii.:
He is a whilly-whaw body, and has a plausible tongue of his own.s.Sc. 1898 E. Hamilton Mawkin x.:
A trickie, whillie-wha lot from first to last.