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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

CLOOTIE, Clooty, Cluty, Cluttie, adj.³, n.² [′kluti]

†1. adj. Cloven; cloven-hoofed, in reference to the Devil.Lnk. 1884 J. Nicholson Willie Waugh 42:
He gat a drive frae mankind's clooty foe.Rxb. 1824 J. Telfer Border Ballads 62:
The sabille gowne hang owre his tayle, And hid his cluty heele.

2. n. The Devil. Often preceded by auld. Gen.Sc.Ork. 1883 R. M. Fergusson Rambling Sketches xviii.:
I saw auld Cluttie up in the rafters . . . writing down the names of everybody that was asleep during the sermon.Abd. 1991 Douglas Kynoch in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 86:
Thalia, she was scraichin
Like a half-demintit hen.
Fut set the lassie lauchin
Only her an Clootie ken.Ags. 1905 D. L. Duncan Hameart Rhymes 17:
Noo' 'tween us twa, I think, frien' Clooty, 'Twas you that gied her a' her beauty.m.Sc. 1988 William Neill Making Tracks 34:
He's keep on the same flunkies, I jalouse;
saumont an fowl in the auld gemmie's gaird.
Auld Nick's awa, but Clootie's hame again. Ayr. a.1796 Burns Reply to a Trimming Ep. (Cent. ed.) iv.:
I'll gie auld Cloven-Clootie's haunts An unco slip yet.

Comb.: Clootie's craft, a small piece of land, sometimes also called the “Goodman's field,” set aside, by way of propitiation, for the devil, and never tilled or encroached upon by the villagers. See also Aploch.Bwk. 1856 G. Henderson Pop. Rhymes 111:
The moss is saft on Clootie's craft, And bonny's the sod o' the Goodman's taft.