Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1887-1929
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FUM, n.1 [fʌm]
1. A wet or spongy peat or turf (Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.; Ant. 1892 Ballymena Obs. (E.D.D.); Dmf. 1953).Tyr. 1929 “M. Mulcaghey” Ballymulcaghey 33:
When Long Tam nixt appeared in public the grey shoot was dyed a kind of a brown colour nearly the shade of a fum turf.
2. A useless person (Ant. 1905 E.D.D. Suppl.); a big, fat, dirty woman (Ayr. 1913 J. Service Memorables, Gl.).Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr Duguid 169:
Ane of them . . . was a great muckle haurl of a dirty fum.
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"Fum n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 18 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/fum_n1>
