Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

GLUMP, v., n., adj. Common in Eng. dial. [glʌmp]

I. v. To be glum, to sulk (Ags.¹⁹ 1954); “to look gloomy, unhappy, or discontented” (Abd., Lth. 1825 Jam.), to look gloomily or vacantly (at).Bch. 1804 W. Tarras Poems 52:
Glumpin wi' a sour disdain.Dmb. 1931 A. J. Cronin Hatter's Castle ii. i.:
What are ye glumping at there, ye dough-faced sheep? . . . That empty look of yours fair scunners me.Gsw. 1937 F. Niven Staff at Simson's viii.:
There was nothing for it but that they should walk dismally out to sit in the South Side Park and glump at the flowers.

Hence glumpish, glumpy, -ie, adjs., sulky, sullen, morose (Fif., Lth. 1825 .Jam.; Uls. 1924 North. Whig (21 Jan.); Ags. 1954). Also in Eng. dial.Sc. 1800 A. Carlyle Autobiog. (1860) 347:
Armstrong was naturally glumpy.Sc. 1819 Scott Letters (Cent. ed.) V. 427:
James is rather glumpy and dumpy chiefly I believe because his child is unwell.Dmf. 1878 R. W. Thom Jock o' the Knowe 57:
Daized lord, drunk laird, an' glumpy cottar Wi' han' in pouch, stood lookin' on.

†II. n. 1. A sullen, morose person.Bch. 1804 W. Tarras Poems 131:
A peevish girnin glump.

2. In pl. = the dumps, sulks, esp. in phr. in the glumps, in the dumps (Fif., Lth. 1825 Jam.).Slk. 1874 Border Treasury (22 Aug.) 48:
I' wather that gies hens the glumps.

III. adj. Sullen, glum, morose.Dmf. 1886 R. W. Thom Poems 35:
Free o' the dule wha's direfu' po'er . . . Mak's laird or cotter glump an' dour.