Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
DRATCH, DRETCH, v. and n. Also draitch, draatch, drats.
1. v. To move slowly and heavily; to dawdle, loiter (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928), drats; Cai. 1900 E.D.D., draatch; n.Sc. 1808 Jam., dratch; Ags.2, Ags.17 1940, dratch; Dmf. 1825 Jam.2, dretch). Ppl.adj. dretched, dratset, dawdling dreamily (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl.), careless (Jak.).Sc.(E) 1897 E. Hamilton Outlaws vi.:
And see ye dinna dretch.Sh. 1932 J. M. E. Saxby Trad. Lore 202:
He “gengs dratsin” is said of a person who has an ungainly and slow gait.
Hence dratchy, slow, dawdling.Cai. 1949 (per J. Ross):
This sort of weather maks dratchy work. He is very dratchy with his work.
2. n. A person slow in the execution of a job, a dawdler (Kcb.4 1900, draitch).
[O.Sc. drich, a.1400, drech, a.1586, Mid.Eng. dreche, to delay, of obscure origin. Some of the Sh. forms, however, may be influenced by or derived from drat- as in Norw. dial. dratla, Icel. drattast, to trudge, plod, O.N. dratta, to walk heavily and slowly.]
