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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

COLF, Culf, Calf, v. and n. [kɔlf, kʌlf]

1. v. To fill in, stop up a hole (Mry.¹ 1925, culf); to wad a gun; “to calk a ship” (Sc. 1808 Jam.). The form culf is also found in Abd. (see W. Alexander Johnny Gibb (1871) xl.).Bnff.² 1943:
Fite a pin t' the richt size an' colf that hole in the waterin'-troch.Abd. 1906 J. Christie in Bnffsh. Jnl. (3 July) 3:
They cudna shine at games like golf, But weel a pooder hole cud colf.

Hence colfin(g), calfing, (1) wadding, “the tow used in a ‘reekie-meg' (stove)” (Uls.³ 1930); paper used as gun-wadding (Bnff.², Abd.² 1937); (2) fig. a “stuffing,” an abundant meal; (3) “the thin sheet of black ashes left after paper is burnt” (Lth. (Bo'ness) 1916 T.S.D.C. II.); (4) “an opprobrious name for a slovenly woman” (Upper Deeside 1917 (per Abd.⁸)).(1) Sc. 1721–22 R. Wodrow Hist. Sufferings Church of Scot. II. App. x.:
Then they fired again; one of them had his Pistol so near my Lord, that the burning Calfing was left on his Gown, and was rubbed off by his Daughter.Sc. 1867 N. Macleod Starling viii.: 
It's the verra pooder and shot o' my letter; wi 'oot that, it's a' tow an' colfin.Mearns a.1823 J. Napier in Papers Relating to the Mearns in Fraser Papers (S.H.S. 1924) 54:
He on exhausting his firegun colfin drew out a commission from Charles the 2nd. [Also used by A. Tait (Ayr.) in Poems and Songs (1790) 102.](2) Uls. 1910 J. Logan McClusky Twins 50:
Now for a fine tay and colfing.

2. n. “A gun-wad” (Uls.² 1936). Fig. a “stuffing,” generous meal.Uls.² 1936:
For a good colf, give me a pot of well-made oatmeal stirabout [porridge] and a bowl of new churned buttermilk.