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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SWATS, n.pl. Also swaats; swatts; swets. Rarely in sing. swat. [swɑts, swets]

1. Newly-brewed weak beer (Sc. 1808 Jam.); a substitute for this made from molasses and water boiled and fermented with the addition of yeast (Sh., Lnk. 1972).Sc. 1717 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 19:
Nor kept dow'd Tip within her Waws, But reaming Swats.Gsw. 1754 Gsw. Courant (28 Jan.):
Put a chopin of pottage in a cog and put a mutchkin of swats among them when warm.Ayr. 1791 Burns Tam o' Shanter 109:
The swats sae ream'd in Tammie's noddle.Gsw. 1820 Farmer's Mag. (Feb.) 23:
Oatmeal porridge, or peas brose with butter milk or swatts, formed their breakfast and supper.Abd. 1824 G. Smith Douglas 143:
The marriage swats sae clear and stout Had turn'd the fellow's head about.Per. 1835 R. Nicoll Poems 143:
Whiles a bicker o' swats — whiles a heart-heezin' gill.Edb. 1844 J. Ballantine Gaberlunzie x.:
Our gentry's wee peel-garlic getts Feed on bear meal an' sma' ale swats.Gsw. 1889 A. G. Murdoch Readings 58:
Random drinks of sma' beer and copious libations of treacle swats.Kcb. 1897 A. J. Armstrong Robbie Rankine 28:
It was wi' a cheery cheek that Geordie dispensed the swats.em.Sc. 1913 J. Black Gloamin' Glints 167:
A bottle of old-time “swats” or homemade ale, was procured for twopence from a little shop near.m.Sc. 1988 William Neill Making Tracks 31:
Swats made nae bliddie corses oniwey,
in boattle, tankard, tassie, gless or joug.

‡2. The liquor in which oatmeal husks have been steeped in the making of Sowans (see s.v. 1. and 2. (29)) (Sh. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XII. 214, 1914 Angus Gl.; I. and n.Sc. 1972). Also in comb. sooan-swets, id. (Ork. 1929 Marw.). Adj. swatsi in comb. swatsi-swaarik, id., esp. consumed as a drink with a little meal added (Sh. 1899 J. Spence Folk-Lore 177).Sh. 1888 Edmonston & Saxby Home of a Naturalist 209:
Swatts is the water which covers sowens, and is used to thin the sowens, or as a drink.Cai. 1915 John o' Groat Jnl. (26 June):
A sowan knoggie stood below i' “gruns” an swats galore.Ork. 1920 J. Firth Reminiscences 99:
Sowans could be preserved for months by pouring off the clear “swatts” and adding fresh water.Sh. 1947 Sh. Folk Bk. (Tait) I. 72:
We drank bleddik an' blaand, druttle an' swats.