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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.

DIRT, n., v. and adv. Sc. usages. Also form durt.

I. n.

1. “A mean insignificant person; an expression of contempt often used towards a troublesome child, or a troublesome person of any kind” (Rxb. 1825 Jam.²). Now mainly used as an offensive epithet (Bnff.², Abd.², Fif.¹⁰, Arg.¹ (durt), Kcb.¹⁰ 1940). Also in I.Ma. dial.Ork. 1952 R. T. Johnston Stenwick Days (1984) 62:
" ... Weel weel, id cheust shaws on that men is all the sam'. Thir all dirts. I kinno say I admire thee tist, bit if thoo prefer Chloe tae me thoo kin hiv her. ... "Gsw. 1913 F. Niven Ellen Adair 234:
He's a dirt of a lad.Slk. 1820 Hogg Winter Ev. Tales II. 183:
Geordie was sae mad at Matthew for . . . garring him tine the fish (for he's a greedy dirt), that they had gane to grips in a moment.

2. Rubbish, nonsense.Sh. 1926–28 J.G. in Shetland Times:
A lok a raat an dirt.

3. Mining: “a band of soft blaes or fireclay in a seam” (Edb.⁶ 1944).

4. Phrs. and Combs.: (1) dirt-bailie, an inspector of nuisances (Sc. 1891 Farmer and Henley Slang); (2) dirt-bee, the dor-beetle or common dung-beetle, Geotrupes stercorarius (Bnff.² 1940; Ags. 1949 (per Abd.²⁷)); (3) dirt-bird, the skua, Stercorarius crepidatus (Uls. 1880 W. H. Patterson Gl. Ant. and Dwn.); also in Nhb. dial.; cf. Dirten Allen; ‡(4) dirt-brods, trousers with a backflap (Ags.¹⁷ 1940); (5) Dirt Court (see quot.); hist.; †(6) dirt-fear, extreme terror, lit. terror which causes one to lose control of the bowels (Jam.²); hence dirt fear'd, adj.; (7) dirt-flee, = (2) (Abd.⁹, Ags.¹⁷ 1940); also used fig.; †(8) dirt-haste, “a coarse and vulgar term, denoting the hurry occasioned by one's losing the power of retention” (Sc. 1825 Jam.²); hence, extreme haste; †(9) dirt-house, “a close-stool; now a privy” (Sc. 1825 Jam.²); (10) dirt-leaf (see quot.); (11) either a' dirt or a' butter, “either very hostile or the reverse” (Fif.³ 1916); (12) to be in the dirt raw, to be always behind, always last (Abd.⁴ 1930).(2) Bnff. 1880 J. F. S. Gordon Chrons. of Keith 112:
Aul' Lucky Lowrie was aye on leg, bizzing aboot like a Dirt-bee.(3) Uls. 1880 W. H. Patterson Gl. Ant. and Dwn.:
It [the skua] follows flocks of sea -gulls, and chases these birds till they disgorge the contents of their stomachs, and the vomited matter the dirt-bird eats.(5) Edb. 1847 R. Chambers Trad. of Edb. 108:
Previous to the institution of the policecourt, a bailie of Edinburgh used to sit, every Monday . . . to hear and decide upon small causes such as prosecutions for scandal and defamation, or cases of quarrels among the vulgar and the infamous. This judicature, commonly called the Dirt Court, was chiefly resorted to by washerwomen from Canonmills, and the drunken ale-wives of the Canongate.(6) Sc. 1722 W. Hamilton Wallace x. l.18:
The Bishop of St Andrews . . . Who would not Wallace coming there abide, Was so dirt fear'd, even for all Scotland wide.Abd. 1723 W. Meston Poems (1767) 131:
He trembled and, which was a tocken Of a dirt-fear, look'd dun as docken.(7) n.Sc. 1825 Jam.²:
The term is sometimes proverbially applied to a young woman, who, from pride has long remained in a single state, and afterwards makes a low marriage. “Ye're like the dirt-flee, that flees heigh a' day, and fa's in a turd at even.”(8) Peb. a.1722 A. Pennecuik Lintoun Green (1815) 5:
The Selkirk Sutors aff their stools Ill-sitten but at the best, In dirt haste raise, flang down their tools, Declaring for the test.(9) Sc. 1769 D. Herd Sc. Songs (1776) II. 143:
My daddie left me gear enough, — A fishing wand with hook and line, With twa auld stools, and a dirt-house.(10) Fif. 1814 Farmer's Mag. (May) 164:
The main rock [in the lime-quarries of Cults and Kettle] contains six beds of as rich a lime as is in Britain; but the two uppermost strata (nicknamed sclute and dirt-leaf) are so contaminated with clay, that they only yield 2–3rds of the powder which the others produce.

II. v. To befoul, void excrement (Bnff.², Abd.⁹ 1940). Pa.p. dirten. Also fig. in phr. to be dirten on, to be cheated, outdone (Abd.¹ 1910). Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 367:
You have dirten in your Nest. You have done an ill Turn where you was last, and so dare not go again. [This proverb known also to Abd.⁴ 1928.]Abd.²⁷ 1948:
I doot ye've been dirten on by the mannie that sellt ye that horse.

Phrs.: dirt-a [< in the]-slap, a disparaging epithet for the one who brought the last load of corn into the stackyard at harvest. Cf. Drite, v. and Slap.Sh. 1962 New Shetlander No. 63. 4:
Ony een at wis hidmist a yard wi his shaeves was caad "dirt-a-slap."

III. adv. Used as an intensive in dirt deen, terribly fatigued (Bnff.², Abd.² 1940; Abd.¹³ 1910).