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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

JUTE, n., v. Also j(u)it, jut, joot. See also Jeet. [dʒøt, dʒyt, dʒɪt, dʒut]

I. n. 1. Occas. in pl.: weak or sour ale, dead liquor, bad or sedimentary whisky (Sc. 1808 Jam., jute, joot; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 288; Ork. 1959, joots); a drink of such.Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 19:
She never ran sour Jute, because It gee's the Batts.Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 129:
Tho' gude joot binna kend to rumble Your weym within.Edb. 1792 “Juvenis Scoticus” Melpomene 51:
Grassmarket carters, mind your brutes, When ye gang in to tak your jutes.Fif. 1812 W. Ranken Poems 98:
For them might rot in Gallic docks, If d—d to drink your joot, John S — s.Lnk. 1818 A. Fordyce Country Wedding 31:
Now for a wee drap well brewed jut.

2. Any insipid drink, dregs; applied contemptuously to weak tea, etc. (Upp.Cld., Rxb. 1825 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., jut; Ags., Kcb.⁶ c.1926; Ork. 1959, jootie).Bnff. a.1829 J. Sellar Poems (1844) 22:
But thee a juit o' clean cauld water, Thou hasna pith to gar me clatter.Dmf. 1835 Carlyle Letters (Norton) II. 389:
You take your tea at home, then fare out about seven or eight o'clock, drink one other cup of jute, have some talk.Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.:
A jute of tea, a small quantity of tea.Hdg. 1885 J. Lumsden Rhymes 138:
I had placed myself outside my seventh cup of jit.

Deriv. jooter, anything that has turned semi-liquid, e.g. from decomposition; hence a confusion, mess, mix-up (Ork. 1959, “aa in a jooter”). Adj. jooterie, in this state, said of a festering sore (Ork. 1959).

†3. A tippler (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl.). Also dim. juttie (Ags. 1808 Jam.).Ayr. 1790 J. Fisher Poems 61:
To ilka sort o' drinkers suit, An' harboured ilka worthless jute.

Phr. a Geordie Jute day, a hot day, sc. a good day for a drink, quasi from Geordie Jute, as a nickname for a tippler.

†4. An ill-favoured or worthless woman (Cld. 1808 Jam.).Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems 155:
Jo' may mak' a kindly mate, Tho' the jute be broken-backet.

†II. v. To tipple (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., joot).Sc. 1808 Jam.:
Jutting and drinking is a phrase commonly used with respect to tipplers.