Agley

/əˈɡleɪ/ adjective

Definition

Awry or crooked; going wrong or amiss.

Etymology

Scottish variant of 'aglee', from 'a-' + 'glee'. Immortalized by Robert Burns in 1785 in the phrase 'gang aft agley' (often go awry) in his poem 'To a Mouse'.

Kelly Says

Burns' poem is so famous that 'the best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley' has echoed through English literature for 240 years, yet most people don't realize 'agley' is a Scottish word—it's a beautiful example of how regional dialect can achieve immortality through great poetry.

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