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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, CLOUTIE, CLOUTY, adj.¹

1. “Made of pieces of cloth. Thrifty cottagers often sew or weave together strips of old cloth to form rugs or carpets known as ‘clootie carpets'” (Ags. 1926 (per Ags.¹). Known to Lnk.³, Kcb.¹ 1936.Sc. 2001 Press and Journal (10 Apr) 3:
"There really has been great enthusiasm from young and old alike," said community education worker Mrs Marshall, as youngsters sat engrossed at traditional toys and crafts sessions - making everything from hummin' lizzies to clootie rugs -Bnff.(D) 1924 M. Symon in Scots Mag. (June) 187:
She took the neighbours in, in relays, to see the way-going providin', all laid out on the ‘closet' bed. The clootie coverin' showed them up beautifully.Abd. 1928 J. Baxter A' Ae 'Oo' 18:
Fine, inbye the chumley lug, Tae needle at the clooty rug.Abd. 2000 Sheena Blackhall The Singing Bird 57:
Bairn rhymes skip ben a clootie rug
That's aa the colours o the lexicon. Mearns 1900 W. MacGillivray Glengoyne I. viii.:
This was formed out of strips of old clothing stitched end to end and rolled up into “clews.” These, with coarse lint spun on the “little wheelie” . . . were sent to the local weaver, who made them into “clouty claith.”

2. Made of strips of cloth (Bnff.² 1936). Cf. Cloot, n.¹, 3, in pl.Abd. 1903 I. Swift in Bnffsh. Jnl. (16 June) 3:
The tailor took the clooty leggings and inspected them.

3. Ragged or patched. Obs. except in poetry.Sc. 1904 Hind Horn in Ballads (ed. Child) No. 17 G. xxxv.:
Atween the kitchen and the ha, There he loot his cloutie cloak fa.Edb. 1866 J. Smith Poems 108:
Ye fell clooty raker! ye vile halanshaker!

4. Ornamented or festooned with rags, esp. of bushes near a wishing-well or the like. See J. M. Macpherson Primitive Beliefs (1929) 49-50. Sc. 1957 The Times (25 May):
After the wish, a "clootie", or small rag, must be tied to the branch of an overhanging tree. This is considered so important that this wishing-well of Culloden is now known far and wide as the Clootie Well.

5. Wrapped in a cloth, esp. of a pudding or dumpling, and boiled in water or broth (Abd. 1880). Gen. (exc. I.) Sc. Sc. 1992 Guardian (16 Mar) 26:
With regard to our edible treasures in danger (Guardian, March 7) may I add ... Cloutie dumpling (pudding steamed in a cloth), ... Sc. 2000 Herald (8 Jan) 28:
We were so replete we didn't feeI up to dessert and, although I ordered a baked stuffed apple with cloutie dumpling and port syrup, I couldn't do it much justice; ... Sc. 2002 Herald (24 Jan) 16:
Rogano restaurant in Glasgow which is featuring "Cloutie dumpling with a Glayva sauce anglaise." 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. It is preceded by cock-a-leekie soup and the pudding is often a "clootie dumplin": a dumpling pudding prepared in a linen cloth. Finish with Scottish oatcakes and cheese.Sth. 1996 Essie Stewart in Timothy Neat The Summer Walkers: Travelling People and Pearl-Fishers in the Highlands of Scotland 15:
Saturday night was Dumpling Night. Cloutie Dumplings were our weekly treat. Mother would steam them in a muslin cloth - a handful of this and a handful of that - raisins, carrots, treacle, syrup, flour, mixed spices, water, dollops of fat, sugar. Rnf. 1993 History on your Doorstep, The Reminiscences of the Ferguslie Elderly Forum 37:
We didn't hae birthday cakes in those days. We used to have clootie dumplings, with silver threepenny bits or sixpences in them. s.Sc. 1975 Southern Reporter (30 Jan) 9:
Whille the cloutie dumpling bubbled in the pot.

Comb.: Clootie City, nickname for Dundee (from its long history of textile manufacturing).Sc. 1994 Herald (26 Oct) 18:
There has been a spate of fires of late in the twin Tayside cities of Perth and Dundee. The Fair City has lost three nightspots in the past year and Clootie City two in as many weeks.Sc. 1997 Herald (25 Jul) 23:
A trip to the Pyrenean country of Andorra on footballing manoeuvres with Dundee United offered the Diary the opportunity for the first time to sample Clootie City's airport.