Sc. and north. dial. Also souple, suple, soople. [app. var. of swupple, swouple, SWIPPLE, assimilated to supple.]
1. The part of a flail that strikes the grain in thrashing.
1634. (8 Dec.) Rec. Baron Crt. Colstoun (MS.). Unlawes Pak. Nycolsone in eastmanis in 40s. for cutting and transporting tua soupellis furth of the lairds wode & geving tham to Pak. Ormistoun, confest.
1701. Lady Grisell Baillie, Househ. Bk. (1911), 9. For 2 sives and 2 ridles 1 li. 10 s. suples 8 s…. 1. 18. 0. For expence of selling 20 bolls oats, 1. 6. 0.
1789. Davidson, Seasons, 143. The scatter’d ears That frae the swingin supple sprend afar.
1807. Stagg, Poems, 14. A lang flail souple full’d his neif.
1844. H. Stephens, Bk. Farm, III. 989. The fail consists of two parts, the hand-staff or helve … and the supple or beater.
1893–4. Northumbld. Gloss., Soople, Souple, Swipple, the loose, swinging arm of a flail.
2. A cudgel.
1815. Scott, Guy M., xxv. A gude oak souple in his hand. Ibid. (1827), Two Drovers, i. ‘They had their broadswords, and I have this bit supple,’ shewing a formidable cudgel.
