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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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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.