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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SCOUR, n.1, v.1 Also scoor, skoor, skur (Jak.), skour; scowr. [sku:r, ′skʌu(ə)r]

I. n. A shower of rain, esp. of a passing or intermittent fall, and usu. one driven by gusts of wind, a driving rain-squall (Sc. c.1780 J. Callander MS. notes in Ihre Glossarium (N.L.S.) s.v.; Dmf. 1808 Jam., skour; Lnk., Slk. 1825 Jam., scowr; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 162; Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928); Cai., ne.Sc., em.Sc.(a), Arg., Lnk., Ayr. 1969). Dim. scoorie, skurroch, a slight shower.Per. 1895 I. MacLaren Auld Lang Syne 123:
There's threatenin' tae be a scoorie.
Sc. 1899 W. Harvey Sc. Life 214:
I like a bit gentle dew i' the mornin', a skurroch i' the forenoon, a smart shower after dinner, and a Lammas spate at nicht!
Lnk. 1919 G. Rae Clyde and Tweed 70:
Nae bield for man or beast in sic a scowr.

Adj. scourie, scoorie, scowrie, scowry, and deriv. scourachie, -ichie, -y, of weather: blustery with rain, wet and squally (Sc. 1808 Jam; Per. 1823–49 Jnl. Ryl. Meteorol. Soc. LXXXIV. 75, scourachie, -ichie, -y; ne.Sc., Ags., Per., Fif., Ayr., Dmf. 1969).Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 140:
May Scotia's simmers ay look gay and green, Her yellow har'sts frae scowry blasts decreed.
Sc. 1812 The Scotchman 62:
The gairness I learnt frae my dadie wad hae hindert me frae sellin my chukie on a scourie day.
Gsw. 1860 J. Young Poorhouse Lays 192:
'T will help her tae get smoothly by The scowrie winter drawin' nigh.
Dmf. 1894 R. Reid Poems 62:
The shilpit mune rade high, Deep-wadin' through a scoury brugh.
Rnf. 1928 G. Blake Paper Money vi.:
None o' yer dirty, foggy, misty, scoury blatters.
Fif. 1952 E. Fife Observer (29 May):
Why scoory days come in oor simmers.
Arg. 1993:
It's scowrie-lookin the day.
Arg. 1998 Angus Martin The Song of the Quern 54:
But, och, we'll thole it a, boys, an scowrie weather tae,
for we ken that Setterday's aye drawin near.
Wi a dirty sheaf o nots in yer nefe
ye'll droon the Banks o Ballantrae in beer.

II. v. In ppl.adj. scoorin, showery, wet and windy.Mry. 1939 J. M. Dallas Toakburn 66:
This scooring weet weather.

[O.N. skúr, a shower, cogn. with Eng. scour, to rush about, and shower.]

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"Scour n.1, v.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 29 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/scour_n1_v1>

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