Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
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.

CROWDIE, CROWDY, Croudy, n.¹ [′krʌudi]

1. A mixture of oatmeal and cold water, etc. eaten raw. Sometimes also used of porridge or brose and hence of food in general. The spelling croudy is found in A. Cunningham Trad. Tales (1822) II. 191. Gen.Sc. Also used fig. Common in Eng. (esp. n.Eng.) dial. (E.D.D.).Sc. ?a.1682 Semple Blythsome Wedding in J. Watson Choice Coll. (1869) i. 10:
Pow-Sodie, and Drammock, and Crowdie and callour Nout-feet in a Plate.Sc. 1929 F. M. McNeill Sc. Kitchen 200:
Meal-and-ale and the original Athole Brose (meal and whisky) are also forms of crowdie.Mry.(D) 1806 J. Cock Simple Strains 81:
Faith! yes! get Crowdy, Cakes, and Kail, A bicker o' guid reamin' Ale.m.Sc. 1928 W. P. McKenzie Fowls o' the Air 11:
When the aits had gaen tae the miller An' the crackit meal cam' hame There'd be rowth for halesome crowdie Tae comfort the cravin' wame.Edb. 1895 J. Tweeddale Moff 154:
They steer aboot a kin o' crowdy o' Bible phrases.Rnf. 1807 R. Tannahill Poems 103:
Yet mony a puir doil't, servile body Will scrimp his stomach o' its crowdy.Uls.(D) 1879 W. G. Lyttle Readings by Robin 16:
Yin spoonful was eneuch for me. It wuz worse than the crowdy my ma makes.

Combs.: (1) butter-crowdie, see Butter; (2) cream-crowdie, see Cream; †(3) croudy-eater, a disparaging name for a rustic; (4) crowdy-meal, = 1. above: †(5) crowdy-mowdy, -moudy, a mixture similar to crowdie (see F. M. McNeill Sc. Kitchen (1929) 201)); (6) crowdie-time, crowdy-, meal-time, breakfast-time. (3)Sc. 1816 Scott O. Mortality xxviii.: 
Ye dour croudy-eater.(4) Edb. 1773 R. Fergusson Poems (1925) 31:
Eith can the plough-stilts gar a chiel Be unco vogie, Clean to lick aff his crowdy-meal, And scart his cogie.(5) Sc. 1724–27 Ramsay T. T. Misc. (1762) 20:
With crowdy-mowdy they fed me.Edb. 1787 W. Taylor Sc. Poems 24:
In haf an hour hese get his mess O' crowdy-mowdy.Peb. 1793 Carlop Green (ed. R. D. C. Brown 1832) ii. 45:
And crowdy-moudy, and het-pints Fit for the lips o' a queen.(6) Sc.(E) 1936 J. G. Horne Flooer o' the Ling 41:
At crowdy-time, Be't rain or rime, On ilka winter's day Doonbye ye come.Ayr. 1786 Burns Holy Fair vi.:
Then I gaed hame at crowdie-time, An' soon I made me ready.

2. “A mixed food of many ingredients” (Dwn. c.1921 J. A. McBride in North. Whig).