I have an unexpected problem, which is as vexing as it it puzzling, in substantiating my statement that "to scallet" is a Scots verb meaning "to divide", and by extension "to comb". I had been unhappy about about the "Maid o' Scalleter" phrase for some time, and about two years ago I researched it on the Net. I am pretty sure that I used the Dictionary of the Scottish Language website, and utterly adamant that I found the sense of combing among a great many others. But on re-visiting the site it is nowhere to be found. A thorough search has drawn a blank, as has an e-mail to the staff at DSL. So, I am at a complete loss as to where I got it from.

There is to "sc(k)ail", which means to disperse, send away, divide up, dismiss, and sundry other senses, with a derivation from a Norse root meaning "to divide", but the specific sense of combing is not mentioned. Nevertheless, on the grounds that one does not have hallucinations about dictionaries, I am standing by this, though without any expectation that anyone will believe me.

But perhaps others might agree that a "shirt o' lawn" is a better phrase than "alane", making more sense as well as preserving the rhyme. And on the basis of rhyme, which is consistent throughout the ballad, and I shall revise my opinion of the "hire your hand" line. I was convinced that MacColl sang "horn", but as everyone else is convinced it was "hand" then I'll go along with it and sing that in future. Presumably their hearing is better than MacColl's accent. As "to hire a hand" means to engage a workman, I suppose that this line means " ... she would have taken you on full-time."

But I will continue to sing "aye she scrat" - it's far better than "grat" in the second half of the song.

Malcolm : The DSL does have an entry for "spey", but in the specific sense of a sluice built on the River Tay. Obviously, one can assume a link of sorts between a sluice and a slit in a night-gown, but do you have a refernce for your meaning?

Robinia : just a small point about the mention in your website of how you are baffled by the "Hauld awa' " to her mother. Eppie has been seized by a gang of roughs and her mother has run out to her. She is simply telling her mother to stay away so that she isn't hurt, and re-assures her that no man will marry her.

I always thought there was a slight hiatus in the action between verses 1 and 2, so I put in my own verse at that point to explain what's going on ...

They've gone to Eppie Morrie's house and broken down the door,
and aye she grat and aye she spat and aye her folk did roar.

As a Sassenach, it sounds alright to me, but I've never run it past a native speaker. I'm bracing myself for the howls from the critics.