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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

THRUM, n.¹, v.¹ Also ¶thram (Abd. 1932 R. L. Cassie Scots Sangs 25); thrumb (e.Lth. 1892 J. Lumsden Sheep-Head 316); trum (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 353; Sh. 1923 T. Manson Lerwick 21), See T, letter, 9. Sc. forms and usages of Eng. thrum, freq. in pl., the end of a warp-thread in a loom, any thread end in a fabric, esp. where fraying has occurred, a fragment of waste thread or cotton yarn, any odds and ends. [θrʌm, I.Sc. trʌm]

I. n. 1. (1) Sc. combs., phrs. and derivs., freq. fig.: (i) a thrum in the graith, see Graith, n., 6. (1); (ii) lang thrums, a nickname for a weaver, phs. from the proverb “He's nae guid weaver that leaves lang thrums”; ¶(iii) legs o' thrums, thin, thread-like legs; (iv) thrum bonnet, = Eng. †thrum-cap, a cap or bonnet made of waste yarn; (v) thrum-cutter, a derogatory name for a weaver; (vi) thrum descent, humble or plebeian origin; (vii) thrum keel, the ruddle mark made on the yarn at the end of a web of cloth; also fig. See Keel, n.¹, 2.; (viii) thrum yarn, yarn left over from the end of a web, waste yarn; (ix) to knit on (o') the old thrum, to continue in one's usual practice or habits, to go on in the old way, to do exactly as before; (x) to knit one's web till the wrang thrum, to go wrong, to err, blunder; (xi) to redd thrums wi, to wrangle, altercate, squabble with.(ii) Kcd. 1880 W. B. Fraser Laurencekirk 158:
The cry of ‘Lang thrums! lang thrums!' greeted the ear of the processionists.(iii) Sc. 1851 G. Outram Lyrics (1874) 28:
She stumps about on legs o' thrums.(iv) Sc. 1827 Scott Highland Widow i.:
Duncan with the thrum bonnet.Arg. 1914 N. Munro New Road xx.:
Thank God I wore Maclaren's good thrum bonnet.(v) Slk. 1824 Hogg Shep. Cal. (1874) xii.:
Several young boobies o' hinds, thrashers, and thrum-cutters.(vi) Ayr. 1835 Galt in Tait's Mag. (Sept.) 617:
Miss Penny . . . belonged to the ancient landed aristocracy of the west, while Miss Betty was of thrum descent.(vii) Rnf. 1815 W. Finlayson Rhymes 39:
[They] add twa three yards to our thrum-keel To work at gratis.Rnf. 1825 Gaberlunzie 92:
Profligacy at home, and competition abroad, will soon bring up our thrum keels.Per. 1888 R. Ford Glentoddy 34:
It was never in the purpose o' naitur that a man should work in the thrum-keel o' his life in single harness.(viii) Sc. 1822 Scots Mag. (Dec.) 659:
Plating a whip-lash of thrum yarn.(ix) Sc. 1700 Edb. Gazette (5 Feb.):
They are firmly resolved either to knit on the old Thrum or begin a new Web.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore (S.T.S.) 102:
”Well, nurse,” says he,”knit on o' the auld thrum, An' gae nae ground to say a warse is come.”(x) Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore (S.T.S.) 111:
For gin ye let it to a hearing come, Ye'll find ye've knet your web till a wrang thrum.(xi) Per. 1878 R. Ford Hamespun Lays 104:
Reddin' thrums wi' a' her kin.

(2) in various expressions to denote the purring of a cat, developed from a punning use of Thrum, n.², q.v. Phrs. to sing, spin, etc. (gray) thrums, to purr (Abd., Kcd., Ags., wm.Sc. 1972), threeds and thrums (Abd., Slk. 1972), three (¶twa) threeds and or in a thrum, a cat's purr (Uls. 1892 Ballymena Observer; Wgt. 1900; Ork. 1972).Ayr. 1840 J. Ramsay Eglinton Park 117:
Even puss, at“twa threads an' a thrum.”Gsw. 1844 Songs for Nursery 1:
The cat's singin' grey thrums To the sleepin' hen . . . Ruggin' at the cat's lugs, And ravelin' a' her thrums.Ayr. 1871 J. K. Hunter Life Studies 6:
I took baudrons in my arms, and she sang three threeds and a thrum.Wgt. 1878 “Saxon” Gall. Gossip 349:
The children want to know what their cat is singing, and so they are told that it sings, ‘Three threads in a thrum.'Abd. 1900 C. Murray Hamewith 9:
A low peat fire, where bauldrins span her thrums.Abd. 1995 Flora Garry Collected Poems 18:
Fin I'm owercome wi warldly care
An dwine in dark despondency,
Ye'll come, ma cat, an purr to me
Yer three-threids-an-a-thrum I'll hear.

(3) adj. thrummie, -y, consisting of or resembling thrums, frayed, thready. Combs. (i) thrummy-caip, — cap, a cap made of thrums, = Eng. †thrum cap, in n.Eng. dial. applied to a hobgoblin wearing such a cap, and hence in Sc. transf. the Devil himself, Satan, also in reduced forms Thrum(my); (ii) thrummy end, the thread end of a web of cloth; hence the end or last part of anything; (iii) thrum(m)y-mittens, mitts made of thrums; (iv) thrummy-tailed, having frayed or ragged edges to one's elothes, slovenly in dress; (v) thrummy-wheelin, coarse worsted yarn spun from thrums on the large wheel. See Wheelin.Kcd. 1857 A. Taylor Lummie 2:
Sacks, torn and thrummy.Ags. 1872 Brechin Advert. (24 Dec.) 4:
A scull cap in its patched and thrummy condition.(i) Kcd. 1796 J. Burness Thrummy Cap (1887) 8:
An' eke, he on his head had got A Thrummy Cap, baith large and stout.Abd. 1861 J. Davidson Poems 85:
If she's wi' Thrum she is at hame. For Elly was malicious.Bnff. 1869 W. Knight Auld Yule 116:
Full thretty years, twice tauld, hae pass'd, an' mae, Sin' it has been a guest in thrummy's ha'.ne.Sc. 1874 D. Macgregor The Scald 21:
Like deevils damned in auld Thrummy-caip's sulphurous fryin pan frythin.Abd. 1932 Abd. Univ. Rev. (March) 106:
A doot aul' Thrummy hid carriet the Black Offisher awa wi 'im.(ii) Abd. 1832 W. Scott Poems 74:
An ony rate the lass began to snuff The thrummie en' o' some uncuthie guff.(iii) Abd. 1915 H. Beaton Benachie 49:
[Each man] with his hummel-thrummy mittens was ready to face the North wind and frost.Sc. 1949 N. B. Morrison Winnowing Years ii. ii.:
The“thrummy mittens” his father had given for the youngest manse offspring.(iv) Abd. 1768 A. Ross Works (S.T.S.) 143:
Thrummy-tail'd Meg, that's a spinner o't.(v) Edb. 1787 W. Taylor Poems 4:
Garterless my thrummy-wheelin hose O' my lean houghs haf hap, an' haf expose.

2. A tangled or ravelled mass of anything, esp. of a dress untidily kept or carelessly thrown aside (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 193); a ragged frayed article (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 139).Ib.:
The thread's a' in a thrum. He raipit a bit thrum o' a nepkin roon's neck.

3. A horse-hair Tome, q.v. (Sh. 1972).

4. Fig. A“thread” in one's character, a (perverse) streak; a crotchet, whim, fit of ill-humour (Cld. 1880 Jam.; Ags. 1972).Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 193:
He's taen some thrum in's noodle aboot it.Abd.¹ 1929:
She lad aye that thrum in her, pickin' a body up afore they fell.

5. Fig. A small particle, shred, scrap; hence something of no value, a rap.Sc. 1809 T. Donaldson Poems 133:
For that we'll never care a thrum.Abd. 1872 J. G. Michie Deeside Tales 120:
He wouldna hae left a tlrum o' him thegither.ne.Sc. 1884 D. Grant Lays 30:
The thack and divots o' the shop Were hardly worth a thrum.

6. A rummaging or fumbling about; a twirling of the fingers awkwardly; intimate or clandestine dealings, freq. implying something underhand or illegal. Cf. v., 3., 4.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 193:
The twa hae an unco thrum thegither.

II. v. 1. To twine or weave roughly ends of yarn; to work with thrums.s.Sc. 1847 H. S. Riddell Poems 194:
The wabsters weary at their looms, Maun still at them be thruming.

2. tr. To twist or coil loosely or carelessly; to fold together in a hasty negligent way (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 193); to tie up with string or the like in a makeshift manner.Dmf. 1832 Carlyle Letters (Norton 1888) II. 57:
You never witnessed such a piece of work as I had to get it [harness] thrummed together in any way.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 193:
He thrums his nepkin roon's neck.

3. tr. To handle excessively, fumble about with, to rummage about in search of; with out: to produce by rummaging (Gregor; Bnff. 1972).

4. intr. To twirl the fingers awkwardly or shyly (Id.), sc. as if twining or twisting thread-ends.

5. To act on a foolish whim or impulse, to become ill-humoured, take a pet (Cld. 1880 Jam.). Cf. I. 3. Used fig. in quot. of the reluctance of spring to appear.Sc. 1936 J. G. Horne Flooer o' Ling 46:
(Throu weeks o' feckless thrummin), For cuisten broon, A wally goon O' vievest green is comin.