Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
SPOUCHER, n. Also spootcher, spuidsear; and erron. skootcher (Kcd. 1911), sclootcher (Mry. 1930), splucher. A wooden ladle or scoop, usu. with a long handle esp. for baling out a boat or lifting fish from a net (Mry., Arg. c.1930; Uls. 1953 Traynor). [′sputʃər]Arg. c.1850 in Colville (1909) 115:
Fire water — fire a spoucher full — These frythan stouns to stay!Ayr. 1909 P. C. Carragher Saltcoats 39:
Men would test the material in the making by plunging into the pliant mass the “luggie” or splucher whereby it was handled [in salt-pan evaporation].Mry. 1914 Trans. Bnff. Fleld Club 24:
The spootcher is the balin dish or laver.wm.Sc. a.1930 N. Munro Looker-on (1933 179:
He had . . . ‘spuid-sears' for baling with, and bladder-buoys for drift-nets, pan-drop sweeties for the trawlers.
