Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1830-1936
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SLOTCH, v., n. Also sloatch, sloch, and voiced form slodge. See also Slatch, Sludge. [slotʃ]
I. v. 1. To move or walk in a slouching hang-dog manner, to drag the feet in walking (Rxb. 1825 Jam., 1923 Watson W.-B. sloatch; Fif., Lth., Rxb. 1970).Slk. 1830 Hogg Queer Book (1832) 169:
Coming slowly slodging o' the lea.Lth. 1888 D. Carmichael Cosietattle 36:
A hallanshaker slochin' chield, That wants for neither bite or bield.Sc. 1936 J. G. Horne Flooer o' Ling 12:
Twa billies on the hunt for wark, Gaed sloatchin up a ferm-toon road.
2. To eat or drink in a messy way, slobber, “to eat like a pig” (Bwk. 1942 Wettstein).
II. n. 1. A lazy, slouching person, a sloven, lay-about, ne'er-do-well (Slk., Rxb. 1825 Jam., slodge, sloatch; Cld. 1880 Jam.; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai; Lth., Rxb. 1970).Lth. 1888 D. Carmichael Cosietattle 227:
A dandy was he ance and gay, A drucken lazy slotch the day.s.Sc. 1898 E. Hamilton Mawkin ii.:
You great thowless slotch, wake up, man.
2. A greedy person, a gourmand, a voracious and messy eater (Bwk. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XI. 169, a greedy slotch).Bwk. 1856 G. Henderson Pop. Rhymes 90:
He's a slotch! he's a slotch! He wad slouter up a'.
3. A slobbering noise, “the sound a calf, makes drinking” (Abd. 1913).
[A variant of Slatch, chiefly of imit. orig., poss. connected with Eng. slouch, n. and v. Also found as slotch, slodge in Eng. dial.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Slotch v., n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 6 Feb 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/slotch>
