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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

DIVOT, n., v. Also div(v)et, div(v)it, divad, diffet, and obs. forms divat, devot, dyvot, diviot, dovat. [′dɪvət Sc., but Cai. + ′dɪvəd, e.Rs. ′dɪfət]

I. n.

1. A turf, sod. Gen.Sc. Sometimes applied to a peat (Ags.¹⁷ 1940), or to a tuft of grass tied to the tail of a kite (Edb.¹ 1940). Also heather divot, “a tuft of heather; frequently placed on a straw beehive” (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).Sc. 1771 T. Pennant Tour 1769 (1790) 132:
The houses . . . are formed with loose stones, and covered with clods which they call devots.Ork. 1774 P. Fea MS. Diary (28 March):
Had 7 men att Inglea brakeing the Diffets and smoothing the ley land for soweing.Ork. 1995 Orcadian 16 Mar 19:
There is a graveyard of dog-tins and surplus jars in a hole in our quarry, covered over with divots. Sth. 1731 in Old-Lore Misc. (1914) VII. ii. 63:
At an examination of the manse it is described as having a “Highland roof thatched with divats.”ne.Sc. 1874 W. Gregor Echo Olden Time 15:
Over all were placed the dyvots. The whole was covered with thatch either of straw, heather, or broom.Bnff.¹² 1931:
Turning the ninth divot to ascertain one's future spouse was an old Hallowe'en ceremony.Ags. 1891 J. M. Barrie Little Minister vi.:
Less on account of the shower of stones than because of the flight of one divit in it.Clc. 1702 Masterton Papers (S.H.S. 1893) 490:
They must lead home your coals, and help to lead dovats when need is to the town houses.Lth. 1928 S. A. Robertson With Double Tongue 46:
And when Sandie got a draigon, it wad dance, but wadna flee, And the divot cam clean aff the tail and clashed in Sandie's e'e.Slk. 1797 in T. Craig-Brown Hist. Slksh. (1886) II. 391:
Liberty . . . to carry off diviots from lands of Boghall.

Combs.: †(1) divot-cast, as much (land) as one divot can be cast from; (2) divot-fecht, a fight with pieces of turf — a boys' sport (Ags.¹⁷ 1940); (3) divvit-hole, a place from which sods have been dug (Id.); (4) divot-seat, “a bench, at the door of a cottage, formed of divots” (Sc. 1825 Jam.²); (5) divet-spade, a spade for cutting sods (Sc. 1887 Jam.⁶, divet-; Cai.⁷, divad-, Abd.⁹, Ags.¹⁷ 1940).(1) Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian xii.:
He hasna a divot-cast of land.(2) Fif. 1909 Colville 125:
Some of the old herd-boys' sports were kept alive, however, such as the flauchter-spade and the divot-fecht. We still find boys in springtime cutting out bits of turf to throw at one another.(3) Lnk. 1902 A. Wardrop Hamely Sk. 61:
Tho' oor public park be like a divvit-hole for ither seventy years.(4) Sc. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Shepherd Act II. Sc. i. in Poems (1728):
. . . there you may see him lean, And to his Divot-Seat invite his Frien'.Hdg. 1892 J. Lumsden Sheep-Head 207:
Auld Red had gotten a divot sate for his ain individual use.Slk. 1818 Hogg Brownie of Bodsbeck, etc. II. 153:
The old shepherd was sitting on his divot-seat, without the door.

2. Turf or peat regarded as a material.Sc. 1702 Acc. Bk. Sir J. Foulis (S.H.S. 1894):
Feby. 24: He is likewise to theick the hous on his oune charges, I laying timber, thack and divot and wattles to his hand.Sc. 1861 S. Smiles Engineers II. 102:
To fetch a load of “divot” from Gladsmuir, or of coal from the nearest colliery.Kcd. 1730 Baron Court Bk. Urie (S.H.S. 1892) 133:
The said turf or divot so cast . . . to be forfeit.

Phr.: feal and divot, see Fail, n.¹

3. Fig. uses: (1) A thick clumsy piece or slice of anything, such as bread or meat (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., divet, 1914 Angus Gl., divvet; Bnff.², Abd.¹⁹, Ags.², Fif.¹⁰, Arg.¹ 1940; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.); a lump.Sc. 1880 R. L. Stevenson Deacon Brodie (1924) Act I. Tab. I. Sc. ii.:
'Od, man, he has a nice bit divot o' Fife corn-land.Cai. 1929 Caithness Forum in John o' Groat Jnl. (22 Nov.):
If . . . her great divad o' a feet struck a Orkney man ower 'e loog, he wid say: “Thou's the most uncouth hillock o' a lass ever called at me hoose.”Abd. 1860 H. Allan in Bnffsh. Jnl. (21 Feb.) 2:
He up an' he cuist sic a divet o' snaw That the chiel was half-smor'd.Edb. 1866 J. Smith Poems 2:
In divots lay the frozen snaw.

Hence divotty, felted, matted (of woollens after washing) (Abd.²⁹, Fif.¹⁴ 1948; Ayr.⁴ 1928). Also divotit, id. (Ayr.⁹ 1949).

(2) “A short, thick, compactly made person” (Slk. 1825 Jam.²); “a dolt or dullard” (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).

(3) “A broad, flat necktie” (Cai. 1905 E.D.D. Suppl.).

II. v.

†1. To thatch with turf (Abd. 1825 Jam.²).Bnff. 1745–46 Ann. Bnff. (S.C.) I. 130:
For divoting the soldiers hospitall.Abd. 1749 Abd. Estate (S.C.) 106:
To 2 men 1/3 of the day divoting at the house at East Mains . . . . . 0. 2. 8.Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr Duguid 259:
They haurled her to a divoted bothy half buried in the sand.

2. To cast or cut divots (Cai. 1900 E.D.D.; Abd. 1825 Jam.²).Sc. 1777 Weekly Mag. (17 July) 62:
“Pray, country man, am I deviating?” “Yes,” replied the other, “I am divotting,” more mindful of his work than attentive to the querist.Sc. 1891 R. Ford Thistledown 239:
Tired wi' divoting twa hours.