Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
‡SOOM, n.2 Also soam, soum, sum (Jak.). The swimming- or air-bladder of a fish (Arg. 1882 Arg. Herald (3 June); Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928); Ayr. 1930; Uls. 1953 Traynor); in pl., the air-bladder dried and used as food (Sh. 1808 Jam.).Sc. 1781 Caled. Mercury (22 Jan.):
Very fine Cod Sooms, in firkins, or by the pound.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 430:
Herring soam . . . Young girls throw this against a wall, and if it adheres to it in an upright manner, then the husband they get will also be so; if crooked, he will be crooked.s.Sc. c.1830 Proc. Bwk. Nat. Club (1916) 79:
A young man or woman takes the soam by one of the ends and throws it against the wall near by the fire-place, and if it sticks there they will be lucky in all their love undertakings and vice versa unlucky.Ags. 1857 A. Douglas Ferryden 14:
The belief of many absurdities: . . . — that the air-bladder or soom of the herring is also poisonous.Abd. 1990 Stanley Robertson Fish-Hooses (1992) 59:
Firstly, ye hid hundreds of pans of wee pingers and the lassies hid tae wash them by hand and clean oot aa the sooms with a scrubber. Then they threw them ontae a table and I hid tae tie them taegither.
