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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

DIET, n.¹ Sc. usages. Also †dyet, diad (Sh.); dayet; died (Cai.).

1. A meal, a repast (Sh. 1898 Sh. News (2 April), diad; Cai. 1905 E.D.D. Suppl., died; Ork.¹, Bnff.², Abd., Kcd., Ags. correspondents, Fif.¹⁰, Slg.³ 1940). Also phrs. a made diet, a cooked meal (Abd. 1975); died o' meit, diet o' maet, id. (Cai.⁷ 1940, died o' meit).Sc. 1746 More Culloden Papers (ed. D. Warrand 1930) V. 205:
To 2 dyets to 50 men . . . 0. 12. 6.Hebr 1995 Angus Duncan Hebridean Island: Memories of Scarp 16:
When fish were scarce, darkness often set in before every family got enough for one 'diet', as we used to say, but when they were plentiful, it was grand to go home with a full bucket ... 'Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 61:
Her bairns wad gang greetan aboot de hoose for a bit o' piece. Peur t'ings! they never kent what hid wus tae ha'e a richt diet o maet.Abd. 1932 D. Campbell Bamboozled 64:
She'd ken faun tae speed awa' hame afore lowsin' tae mak' the diets.Ags. 1895 F. Mackenzie Glenbruar 105:
Ye shuld get a wife, Jamie, an' then ye wad get a made diet like ither fouk.

2. Combs.: (1) diet-cake, -loaf. a kind of sponge-cake; (2) diet-oor, -hour, meal-hour (Cai.⁷, died-oor, Bnff.², Abd.⁹, Ags.¹⁷, Fif.¹⁰ 1940).(1) Sc. 1773 Boswell Tour to Hebrides (1936) 132:
We found here coffee and tea in genteel order upon the table . . . diet-loaf, marmalade of oranges, currant jelly.Sc. 1816 Scott Antiquary iii.:
A small bottle of what he called rich racy canary, with a little bit of diet-cake.Sc. 1826 “Mrs Dods” Manual II. 312:
Scotch Diet Cake. — Take a pound of fine sugar sifted, the same weight of eggs very well whisked, and mix and beat them together for twenty minutes. Season with lemon grate and cinnamon. Stir in very smoothly three quarters of a pound of sifted flour.Fif. 1895 “S. Tytler” Macdonald Lass iii.:
She stopped as Babby reappeared with supplies of white bread, scones, butter, cream, honey and “diet loaf” for the tea.Gsw. 1711 Uls. Jnl. Archaeol. IV. 116:
To make a dayet loaf.(2) Sc. 1898–1901 Weary Farmers in R. Ford Vagab. Songs, etc. (1st Series) 251:
The diet hour it vexes them.Abd. 1868 W. Shelley Wayside Flowers 241:
How kindly the burnie laiped roun' my het feet While paidlin' through short diet-hours!Abd. 1914 J. Leatham Daavit 26:
Bit ye couldna fancy a lawd sittin' doon ti Gibbin i' the diet-oor, like.