Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
POACH, v., n.1 Also po(a)tch. Sc. usages:
I. v. 1. tr. (1) To stir or poke with a stick or the like, to push or prod, thrust (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 132, potch; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai; ne.Sc., Rxb. 1966); also absol. and fig., to meddle, interfere, as in 1900 quot. Also in Eng. dial. Comb. bottle-poacher, in glass-making: ?Slk. 1810 Hogg Tales (1874) 75:
Plunging and poaching to make all the fish take into close cover.Bch. 1832 W. Scott Poems 117:
An' heels ower head through thin an' thick, He poaches forward wi' his stick.Clc. 1832 Fife Herald (3 May):
The bottle poachers are employed at their work the whole day within a few feet of the place.s.Sc. 1859 Bards of Border (Watson) 99:
We'll poach the fire, an' ha'e a crack aside the chumla lug.Abd. 1900 Weekly Free Press (8 Dec.):
Mine keeps his een on everything I dae eternally poachin' amang my feet.
(2) To reduce something to mush by over-handling, e.g. of food in a dish, “to drive backwards and forwards”' (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 132, Bnff. 1966), to mess about with, jumble about.Abd., Ags. 1825 Jam.:
Applied to a dirty way of using food. Children are said to potch their porridge when they tumble them about in the dish.Abd. 1936 Huntly Express (28 Feb.) 7:
Nae potchin', noo, an' min' ye dinna swalla mair than the brose.
(3) to pound or stamp on clothes in washing them (Mry., Bnff., Per. 1966). Deriv. poacher, n., a stick for pounding blankets (Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 261).
2. intr. Freq. with at: to work in an aimless or messy way (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 132; s.Sc. 1966), to poke about. Ppl.adj. potchin', of persons: awkward, bungling, botching.Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 17:
A wheen folk oot picnickin at a deike-fit on Dunionseide . . . war thrang poatchin aboot an maskin tei.
3. As in Eng., to trespass after game. Deriv. poachie, a poacher. See -Ie.Lnk. 1919 G. Rae Clyde & Tweed 110:
'Hint the dyke auld Poachie taks his stan'.
II. n. 1. A wet, muddy area of ground, a marshy, boggy spot, a puddle (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 132, Sc. 1880 Jam., potch; Abd. 1966). Also fig., “a disordered condition of affairs” (Ib.), a “shambles”, mess. A Sc. usage from Eng. v. poach, to churn up soft ground with the feet.Abd. 1932 R. L. Cassie Scots Sangs 25:
The shoggie bog we'll full wi' fale, Tho' platchie poach it be.
2. The act of working or walking in a careless, disorderly way, a messy, sloppy action (Gregor).
