Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
RUITHE, n., v. Also reuth and in reduced form rue (Ork. 1929 Marw.). [røð; Cai. rʌθ]
I. n. 1. The small seeds of weeds common to grain crops, esp. wild mustard or corn spurrey (Ork. 1914 M. Spence Flora Orcad. 103, 1929 Marw.; Cai. 1968). Adj. ruithy, reuthy, in combs. reuthy-breid, bread made of wild mustard seed, Brassica arvensis; ruithy-girs, corn-spurrey, Spergula arvensis (Ork. 1929 Marw.); rue-klino, bread or oatcake mixed with ruithe meal and spread with butter "given in old days to a servant after he had taken a cow to the bull" (Ork. 1929 Marw.). See Cline, v.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 129:
A aire o'lempit breu — For kitchen wi' reuthy breid tae deu.Ork. 1884 Crofters' Comm. Report, App. A. LIX. 276:
If during this time the peasantry ate bread at all, it was what they called ‘reuthie breed' — that is, bread made from the seed of wild mustard, reuth being the name of that seed in Orkney.Ork. 1930:
Hid juist rins oot o him like ruith out o a poke — of someone who cannot keep a secret.
2. A mass of small or insignificant objects, e.g. small potatoes (Ork. 1929 Marw.).
II. v. To pour out, to gush profusely; fig. of a speaker or his words.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 23:
I kinno' hoo lang sheu wad hae reuthed oot o' her.Ork. 1920:
The oaths juist reuthed oot o'm.
