Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1808-1838, 1889-1937
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CLATCH, Clatsh, Klatsh, Clotch, n. [klɑtʃ, klɔtʃ]
1. A flat or splashy sound caused by the fall of a soft, heavy object (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., klatsh; Abd.2, Lnk.3 1937; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Slk. 1825 Jam.2). Phr. to play clatch, to fall with such a sound.Per. 1898 E.D.D.:
I gart him play clatch amo' the dubs.
2. Extended from the sound to denote the movement causing it: "a slap as with the palm of the hand" (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., klatsh; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).
3. Extended to denote any object which would cause such a sound: (1) a wet mass, a clot (Bnff.2 1937), "anything thrown for the purpose of daubing; as 'a clatch of lime,' as much as is thrown from the trowel on a wall" (Sc. 1808 Jam.); (2) "a piece of ground in a soft or sloppy condition" (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.); †(3) "the mire raked together into heaps on streets or the sides of roads" (Lth. 1825 Jam.2).(1) Sh. 1900 Shet. News (18 Aug.):
Da grices hae a wye o' rötin' ony löm 'at's empty afore dem, fil hits in wan clatsh o' gutter.Sh. 1926–28 J.G. Lowrie buys a Ford in Shet. Times:
I got a clatch o' marrow fat apo da leg o' me breeks.(2) Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.:
A muckle glaury clatch.(3)Ayr. 1835 Tait's Mag. (Jan.) 130:
Is't true that the wives and the laddies bombed you all out of Da'keith, and sent ye back to Embro' living monuments o' clatch'.
4. "An untidy mess" (Ib.).
5. A dirty, untidy person; a slut; a fat, clumsy woman (Abd.2, Ags.1, Lnk.3 1937); "a clumsy, ungainly person" (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl., klatsh).Bnff.2 1937:
It blecks me to ken fat he can see in yon muckle clotch o' a dame.Abd. 1895 J. Davidson Old Abdsh. Ministers 149:
"Are you a married man: have you a wife?" "Aye, a kin' o' a clotch."Arg.1 1937:
She wuz a clean, ticht lass, when she wuz merrit, an' noo she's juist a big, lazy clatch.Slk. 1829 Hogg Shepherd's Calendar I. ix.:
Now, what influence could a cauld clatch of a creature like that . . . hae ower our bairn, either to make her happy or unhappy?
6. "A loquacious, good for nothing person" (Rxb. 1825 Jam.2); "a helpless or worthless person" (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).Sc.(E) 1897 E. Hamilton Outlaws of the Marches xvii.:
Haud your gab, ye claverin clatch.
†7. (1) "A person with a broken constitution" (Nai. 1813 W. Leslie Gen. View Agric. Nai. and Mry., Gl. 451); (2) "a bungler" (Abd. 1825 Jam.2, clotch).
8. "Any piece of mechanical work done in a careless [or clumsy] way" (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., rare); an old, clumsy, worn-out article: "the Carlyles used the word for any old, lumbering, clumsy thing . . . esp. an old gig. Common in Annandale" (Dmf. 1898 E.D.D.); "a clumsy patch of solid substance, as of wood" (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.). Known to Ags.1, Kcb.9 1937.Sc. 1808 Jam.:
An ill-built house is said to be "a mere clatch."Mearns 1889 J. and W. Clark Leisure Musings 18:
They say I'm a rotten clotch Unfit to carry cart or coach. [A bridge is speaking]Dmf. 1838 T. Carlyle New Letters (1904) I. 135:
A lady . . . had lent her a nice little carriage of the clatch sort, with horse and man.
