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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

PELT, n.² Also pilt-.

1. Something of very little value, trash, rubbish (Abd. 1790 A. Shirrefs Poems Gl.; Bnff. 1880 Jam.). Obs. in Eng. since 16th c. Hence peltry, -ie, id., applied to bad weather, food, etc. Also used adj., = worthless, trashy, of little account, unpleasant (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 124, Bnff. 1965).Abd. 1754 R. Forbes Jnl. from London 24:
The diel a drap guid ale cou'd we get upo' the rod . . . you ne'er saw sik peltry i' your born days.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 124:
We've had unco peltrie o' weather a' hairst.

2. Specif.: (1) a piece of coarse, dirty cloth, a ragged and worthless garment, an old cast-off (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 124; Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928)). Also pelter (Ork. 1929 Marw.; I.Sc. 1965), transf. in pl., lumps of dried dung on an animal's hips (Ork. 1965) and dim. peltie, id., sometimes used of an old piece of sacking or similar material worn to protect the chest and abdomen when digging peats with a flauchter-spade (Mry. 1930). Deriv. peltin, in comb. peltin-pyock, a clumsy, shabby garment, a worthless rag (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 124; Bch. 1921 T.S.D.C. 18, piltin-), esp. one worn as protective clothing for rough work (Ags.⁶ 1910, Ags. 1921 T.S.D.C. 18); a triangular wrapper to cover a baby's napkin, a Pilch (Mry. 1921 T.S.D.C. 18).Bch. 1921 T.S.D.C. 18:
If ye wis oot in a coorse day an' yer claes a' weet an' foul, a' wid say yer jacket or petticoat wis like a piltin-pyock.Abd. 1922 Swatches o' Hamespun 64:
In the neuk fornent the ga'el winnock, a moch-aeten kist, a pilten pyock spread ower the lid o't.Abd. 1929:
Ye'll haip on wi' yer gweed Sunday goon on belyve ye'll mak' a peltin'-pyock o't.

(2) a ragged person, a shabby, down at heel character (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928)).

(3) a low-grade type of coal containing a large proportion of stone, shale and slate, impure cannel coal (Sc. 1886 J. Barrowman Mining Terms 50; Fif. 1902 R. W. Dron Coal-Fields 301; w.Lth. 1965).Fif. 1837 Trans. Highl. Soc. 305:
“Pelt and Rum,” a curious local name. This substance is bituminous shale and slate with films of coal, sometimes passing into parrot coal.Fif. 1845 Stat. Acc.² IX. 915:
5 feet of gray faiks, 6½ feet of pelt, 2½ feet of hard sandstone mixed with whinstone.Lnl. 1925 H. M. Cadell Rocks w.Lth. 19:
Some kinds of cannel, locally known as “wild parrot” or “pelt,” are so full of ash as to be unworkable, and are sometimes associated with fish remains such as scales and teeth, fossils that are very seldom, if ever, found in good common coal.