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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.

CROUP, CROWP, CROOP, v.¹, n.¹ [krup, krʌup]

1. v. (1) To croak (gen. used of crows) (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Bnff.², Abd.⁹, Fif.¹⁰ 1941; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). Also found in Eng. dial. (E.D.D.). Vbl.n. and ppl.adj. croupin(g), croopin, croaking.Sc. 1874 A. Hislop Sc. Anecdotes 133:
One came and told that there was a crow “crooping” on the church.Bnff.(D) [1847] A. Cumming Tales of the North (1896) 96:
The poddocks were croupin' frae the loch o' the Auds.Bch. 1804 W. Tarras Poems 44:
Ye croopin corbies, black as soot.m.Sc. 2000 Bruce Leeming in Alec Finlay Atoms of Delight 53:
Dreich the day:
the craws cannae fash thirsels
croupin.Edb. 1773 R. Fergusson Poems (1925) 63:
Nae corbie fleein' there, nor croupin' craws, Seem to forspeak the ruin of thy haws.Bwk. 1856 G. Henderson Pop. Rhymes 23:
The crouping of a corby or raven is held to be a bad omen.

Hence crowpie, croupie, a raven; croupie craw, id. (Fif. 1825 Jam.²); the common street pigeon (Fif., Edb. 1975, croupie, crowpie).Ib.:
“Ae croupie'ill no pike out anither's een.” In other counties corbie is gen. used.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin iv.:
The puir innocent thing . . . had grutten itsel' as hearse as a crowpie.s.Sc. 1835–40 J. M. Wilson (ed.) Tales of the Borders (1857–59) V. 53:
Ye was feared for the croupie craws fleein awa wi' ye after it was dark.

(2) Of persons: “to speak hoarsely, as one does under the effects of a cold” (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Bnff.², Abd.² Fif.¹⁰ 1941); transf. to speak with a burr, to use the uvular sound [R] in pronouncing the letter r, a characteristic of the speech of Northumberland (Bwk. a.1838 Jam. MSS. X. 51). Ppl.adj. croopit, hoarse (Cai.⁷, Fif.¹⁰ 1941; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein).Fif. 1894 J. Menzies Our Town 248:
Aince an idea is in his head, ye may speak till ye're croopit, but he'll never budge.Edb. 1894 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick iii.:
I thocht he was gey roopy . . . the fac' bein he had been croupin like a craw, the way he aye spak.Rxb. 1847 J. Halliday Rustic Bard 210:
And he croupit sae queer when he offer't to talk, That the youngsters, affrighted, did yelloch and jauk.

(3) “To murmur or complain” (Abd.⁶ 1913), to grumble. Ppl.adjs. croupin, fretful, complaining, grumbling (Mry.¹ 1925; Upper Deeside 1917 (per Abd.⁸)), croupit, “crabbed” (Sc. 1911 S.D.D. Add.; Bnff.⁴ 1927).Bnff.² 1946:
Sit up an' tak' yir porridge. Ye're aye crowp, crowpin' aboot yir maet. Ye hinna a please.

(4) “To speak in a hollow, whining, wheedling tone of voice” (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 33). Crowpan, vbl.n., flattery (Ib.); crowpin, ppl.adj., given to flattery (Ib.).Ib.:
The mean tyke o' a cheel's eye crowpin' and crosin' wee the aul' man t' get 'im t' ley's siller till 'im.

2. n.

(1) A croak; the Northumberland burr (Bwk. a.1838 Jam. MSS. X. 51). See 1. (2) above.Ags. 1880 J. E. Watt Poet. Sk. 19:
An' he uttered a weird unwarldly croup.

Hence crowpy, -ie, croaking, hard (of a cough) (Bnff.², Abd.², Kcb.¹⁰ 1941). Also used fig.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 33:
A'm unco fleyt aboot the lassie: she hid a crowpie host a' nicht. It'll be a sair thing in onything cum our 'ir.Abd.(D) 1916 G. Abel Wylins 113:
But a' his brag had a crowpy souch, A wicket licht in his e'e.

(2) “Flattery” (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 33).