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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

CHAMP, Chaamp, n. and v. Also champer and dim. champie. [tʃɑmp]

1. n.

(1) A stretch of ground trodden into a miry state; a quagmire.Twd. 1825 Jam.²:
That's a perfect champ.Rxb.(D) 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes an Knowes 19:
The snaw-brui's strampeet inti a caald-broon platch, a chaamp that turns foats an cuittiekins soappin-wat an lauchs at tacketty shuin.

(2) Mashed potatoes, sometimes with the addition of milk, or milk and butter (Uls.¹ 1920). Also in form champies (Bnff.² 1939; Bwk. 1825 Jam.²; m.Dmf.³ c.1920; Kcb.¹⁰ 1939), and champers (Edb.¹, Lnk.³, Kcb.¹ 1939).sm.Sc. 1988 W. A. D. and D. Riach A Galloway Glossary :
champers mashed potatoes with a flavouring ingredient; also bateys, beetlies.s.Sc. 1875 J. Thomson Life W. Thomson 16:
"What do you get to your supper?" "Champies, billy."Dmf. 1891 J. Brown Hist. of Sanquhar viii.:
For supper, potatoes (often beaten and called “champers”) with milk.Uls.(D) 1879 W. G. Lyttle Readings by Robin 61:
There's no sic anither beetle in the hale country side; I'm tell't they beetled champ wae it in my femily for sayven generations back.Uls. 1993:
Champ was not just mashed potatoes, but a main dish consisting of potatoes mashed with butter, milk, chopped scallions, salt and pepper, and served with butter, eaten with a spoon. Hollow out the mound of hot potato, put butter in to melt, and dip each spoonful of champ in the melted butter before eating it. To drink with this, buttermilk.

(3) One who treads heavily; a clumsy walker.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.:
A muckle champ.

(4) See quot. and cf. 2. (1) 1960 quot. below (wm.Sc. 1900). Edb. 1915:
The game or practice of grinding a soft stone into powder with other stones, the powdered stone being used to represent sugar, tea or the like at "shoppies".

(5) The clam shell, Pecten veneris, poss. a different word. Ayr. 1845 Stat. Acc.² V. 449:
This pecten is the clam, or as it is called in the west the champ, which children gather with delight on the shore.

2. v.

(1) To trample down; to crush, pound; of vegetables: to mash. Known to Bnff.² and our m. and s.Sc. correspondents (1939). Ppl.adj. champit, mashed.Sc. 1995 Herald 30 Dec 12:
This year there will be an extra dash of spice in the haggis and champit tatties at a multitude of Burns' suppers. Sc. 2001 Edinburgh Evening News 23 Oct 20:
There will be traditional, rib-sticking Scotch broth; healthy, low-fat salmon; and braised shank of Tweeddale lamb, served on champit tatties with a redcurrant jus - just like you wish your mother used to make. Sc. 2002 Scotsman 22 Jan 12:
To our national bard. To celebrate the genius of the Ayrshire farmer-poet, we have haggis, neeps and champit tatties; oatcake-dry Immortal Memories; Toasts to the Lassies full of leaden nudge-nudge humour that we think commemorates Rabbie's gay-dog attitude to women; ... Sc. 2004 This is York 24 Jan :
The main course must be haggis of course "wi bashit neeps an' champit tatties" - mashed turnip/swede and mashed potatoes. Sc. 2004 Sunday Times 11 Apr 10:
... not withstanding the winsome colloquialisms on the menu (gigot of Perthshire lamb, served wi' champit tatties). Lth. 1818 J. Thomson Poems (1819) 162:
That nane presume, except your tikes, To loup the hedges or the dykes; When mounted on a yead or aiver, To champ the wheat or fields o' claver.w.Lth. 2000 Davie Kerr A Puckle Poems 44:
T'wad blaw the froth aff Irn Bru
an champit tatties. Edb. 1960 Daily Express (19 May) 4:
We small children sat playing at "champing stanes." We lugged in large boulders from the public green and pounded them into powder, which we gathered up into heaps in our little imaginary shops on the dyke.Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems 63:
To grace a cog o' champit kail.Ayr. 1889 H. Johnston Chron. of Glenbuckie 165:
I would as lief . . . seek anither place, as gang back again on a diet o' champit neeps.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 114:
Yallow puddocks champit sma', Spiders ten, and gellocks twa.Rxb. 1767 Craig & Laing Hawick Tradition (1898) 253:
They broke and champed the bakes and threw many of them into the hole again.Rxb. 1815 J. Ruickbie Poems 124:
An' for their great transgression, War sent to bridewell to champ sand, Till the infernal session Should sit neest day.

(2) “To go (about) in a clumsy or heavy-footed manner” (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).

(3) Appar. to stamp, print (cloth). Sc. 1852 J. Grant Sc. Cavalier xxviii.:
A hood o' silken crammasie wi' champit figures as red as her ain neb.