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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

CLOD, Clodd, n.¹ Also clud (Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond My Man Sandy (1899) 79). Meanings not in use in St.Eng. Also dim. cloddie.

1. “A sod, a tuft of grass with earth attached; a small lump of turf” (Mry.¹ 1914; Uls.³ 1930). Given as obs. except dial. in N.E.D. Known over the greater part of Scotland.sm.Sc. 1988 W. A. D. and D. Riach A Galloway Glossary :
clod 1. a cut of earth.

2. “A small peat” (Cai.⁸ 1934), “a single peat” (Bnff.² 1912; Abd.¹⁹ 1936); “a portion of peat broken off, hard, and much larger than ‘millens' or ‘crumbs' ” (Cai.⁷ 1936).Bnff.(D) 1918 J. Mitchell Bydand 27:
Bit e'en the fiercest fire dees oot, hooever bricht its lowe, Oonless it's eekit noo an' than wi' cloggie, clod, or cowe.Abd. 1832 W. Scott Poems 25:
The dreadfu' clodin' scarcely e'er devauld.

Hence cloddy, adj., of a fire: made of peat.Sh.(D) 1898 “Junda” Echoes from Klingrahool 27:
She sat by her low cloddy fire all alone.

3. “A thick fire-clay holing under or over a seam of coal; a bed of fire-clay in a coal working” (Sc. 1886 J. Barrowman Sc. Mining Terms 19).

†4. Fig. A hindrance, as heavy lumps of clay are in ploughing, sowing, etc.Abd. after 1768 A. Ross Fortunate Shepherd MS. 42:
An' I think haleumly he's ta'en the road, That in her gate he may not be a clod.

Phr.: to cast a clod, — cloddie. See Cast, v., IV. 2.

5. Combs.: (1) clod coal, “strong homogeneous coal” (Sc. 1886 J. Barrowman Sc. Mining Terms 19); also found in Shr. dial. (E.D.D.); †(2) clod-mallet, -mell, a large wooden mallet for breaking clods (Cai.⁷ 1937, obs.); (3) clod-shod, “used of a ploughman, etc.: having the boots weighted with adhering soil” (Sc. 1911 S.D.D.); (4) clod(d) thumper, “a heavy roller for crushing clods on land” (Sc. 1911 S.D.D.; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 138, clodd — ).(2) Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 196:
Battens and a' kinkind o' sticks, Clodmells and barrow-trams and picks.Edb. 1793 G. Robertson Gen. View Agric. Midlothian 44:
It is not clear that it [the roller] is so effective as the ancient clod-mallet.

6. A variety of the game of forfeits (see quot.). Highl. 1823 W. G. Stewart Superstitions (1851) 167:
The game called "Clodhan", or Clod, is a favourite amusement with the youth in the Highlands. One of the company goes round the circle with a clod, or some other article, putting his hand into each person's lap or hand, and leaves the clod with one of the number. The whole circle are then desired to guess the person who possesses the clod.