Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1941 (SND Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1767-1822, 1874-1932
[0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0]
BLADDOCH, BLADOCH, BLEDDOCH, BLEDOCH, Bladdo, Bladda, Bleddik, Blatho(o), n. Buttermilk. [′blɑdɔx n.Sc.; ′blɑdo Mearns, Ags.; ′blɛdɔx n.Sc.' Wgt., Rxb.; ′blɛdɪk Sh.; ′blɑðo, ′blɑðu Ork.]Sh. 1932 J. M. E. Saxby Sh. Trad. Lore 167:
Bleddik, the old local name for buttermilk.Ork. c.1912 J. Omond Orkney 80 Years Ago 9:
A bite of bread and a drink of blatho (churn milk) did for the morning piece.Ork. 1914 J. Firth in Old-Lore Misc., Ork., Sh., etc. VII. iv. 160:
In his long protracted recovery from typhus the sufferer had . . . nothing to assuage the thirst but "a drink o' blathoo."n.Sc. 1808 Jam.
bladoch, bledoch, bladda.Mry.1 1925
bladoch.Abd.(D) 1767 R. Forbes Jnl. from London, etc. (1869) 18:
They sent in . . . a pint of their scuds, as sowr as ony bladoch.Ags. 1874 Kirriemuir Observer (3 July) 4/2:
Doots it wasna bladdoch they had at the feenish.Wgt. 1804 R. Couper Poems II. 220:
Whare routh o' wine coups o'er the chair. Whare sang and laughter rive the air, — This is nae bleddoch.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.:
†Bleddoch. Buttermilk.
Combs.: (1) bladdo-bowl, bowl for buttermilk; (2) bladdo milk, buttermilk.(1) Mearns 1822 G. Menzies Poems (1854) 132:
The scandal-cup, o' finest gear, May grace the hand o' beauty; The bladdo-bowl, o' teugher wear, As eithly does its duty.(2) Ags. 1816 G. Beattie John o' Arnha' (1826) 31:
Cross'd lakes o' bladdo milk and whay.
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Bladdoch n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 3 Mar 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/bladdoch>
