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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

DROUTHY, adj. Also drouthie, droothy, drowthy, -ie; druthy (Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl. Ant. and Dwn.). Gen.Sc. forms of Eng. droughty.

1. Dry, gen. applied to the weather.Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian xlii.:
The grass looked green, for as drouthy as the weather had been.
Mry. 1810 J. Cock Simple Strains 117:
I was as fain as ony there To weet my drouthy throat.
Fif. 1710 R. Sibbald Fife and Knr. 64:
Where the Moss is not so soft and waterish, the burning it in a drouthy and dry Summer is the best Mean.
Knr. 1925 “H. Haliburton” Horace in Homespun 174:
And keep a dry, a drouthy ee, I charge ye a'.
Lnk. 1881 D. Thomson Musings 92:
The surly winter's noo awa', Spring's drouthy win's begin to blaw.
w.Dmf. 1917 J. L. Waugh Cute McCheyne 169:
The lambin' was early, an' April by-ordinar' droothy.

2. Thirsty, addicted to drink. Gen.Sc. Common also in Eng. dial. Also used substantivally = a drunkard.Sc. 1816 Scott O. Mortality iv.:
Anger's a drouthy passion.
Sc. 1862 A. Hislop Sc. Proverbs 171:
Some are gey drouthy, but ye're aye moistified.
Abd. 1920 G. P. Dunbar Peat Reek 21:
B' a droothy fiddlin' craitter, they ca'd him Dancie Tam.
Ags. 1921 V. Jacob Bonnie Joann 46:
As ye come through the Sea-Gate ye'll find a hoose we ken Whaur, when a man is drouthy, his drouth an' he gang ben.
m.Sc. 2000 Herald 16 June 19:
A bomb disposal unit from Faslane raced to the Daily Record office in Glasgow ... Drouthy journalists were glad of the additional four hours' drinking in the Copy Cat as the building was evacuated.
Edb. 1773 R. Fergusson Poems (1925) 52:
Whare hearty benders syn'd their drouthy trunk.
Lnk. 1884 J. Hunter Poems 8:
I've quenched the drouthie's thirsty cry Beneath that roof maist forty years.
Ayr. 1791 Burns Tam o' Shanter ll. 41–42:
And at his elbow, Souter Johnie, His ancient, trusty, drouthy cronie.
Ayr. 1826 Galt Last of the Lairds 25:
There was na a blither bike o' drowthy neibours in a' the shire.
Kcb. 1893 S. R. Crockett Stickit Minister 228:
Ye were aye a drouthy lad, Tim.

Hence (1) drouthelie, adv., thirstily; †(2) drouthiesum, adj., addicted to drink (Cld. 1825 Jam.2); †(3) drouthiesumlie, adv., in the manner of one addicted to drink (Ib.); †(4) drouthiesumness, n., the state of being addicted to drink (Ib.).(1) Dmf. 1810 R. H. Cromek Remains 96:
An' drouthelie pray my Kimmer an' I.

[From Drouth, above. O.Sc. has drouthy, drowthy, dry, rainless. from c.1590.]

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"Drouthy adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/drouthy>

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