Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1825-1848, 1999
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TOUK, n.3 Also took, teuk, tewk, tuik. A disagreeable flavour in food or drink, an unpleasant residual taste in the mouth (Dmf. 1899 Country Schoolmaster (Wallace) 354; Ayr. 1912 D. McNaught Kilmaurs 298; ‡Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; m.Lth., Lnk., Kcb., Dmf. 1972). Also a hint of a flavour, not always disagreeable. Also het tuik, see 1825 quot.; touk about, id. (Lnk. 1953). [tuk, †tjuk]Lth., Lnk., Rxb. 1825 Jam.:
"This maun be sea-borne meal; it has a vile muisty teuk." When a meal is made from corn that has been heated in the stack, the peculiar taste is denominated the het tuik.Sc. 1832 Chambers's Jnl. (Nov.) 321:
"I thought," says a third, tasting a little of it [whisky] raw, with a very knowing air, and a peculiar compression of the lips, and shuttin of the eyes, "I thought it had a kind o' took."Dmf. 1848 Letters T. Carlyle to his Brother (Marrs 1968) 667:
It has a villainous bitter took at the end of it.Edb. 1999:
There a touk o curry in this parsnip soup.
