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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

Quotation dates: 1779-1868

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DORDER-MEAT, n. comb. Also dordor, -tour, etc. "A bannock or cake given to farm-servants, after loosing the plough, between dinner and supper" (Ags. 1808 Jam.); a snack between meals: "most frequently applied to the mid-day piece given to farm servants, and to young people when engaged in out-door work" (w.Sc. 1887 Jam.6, dortor, -ton, dorn-, dort(s)). Also extended to mean "a posset or sleeping draught taken at bed-time, like our modern nightcap" (Sc. 1887 Jam.6).Ags. a.1825 Henry Blyd's Contract 8:
The sin came in at the wast winnock fan the lads got their dorder-meat.
Lnk. c.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 231:
The dinner and dorder-meat [for a wedding feast] sat a' in Eppie's college.
Ayr. 1868 in Laird of Logan, Add. 497:
A herd, in the parish of Beith, complained "that other herds got a dortour like a dortour, but I get a dochtless dortour."
Ayr. a.1851 A. Aitken Poems (1873) 76:
For mony are the times that I hae gotten my dordor, When I cam' to ta'k wi' you at the Border.

[A development from O.E. undern-mete, from O.E., Mid.Eng. undern, orig. the third hour of the day, later the sixth hour or midday; in mod. dial. = the afternoon or evening, a light meal taken in the afternoon. For the form cf. the n.Eng. dial. variants downder, daunton, etc.]

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