An A to Z of the Doric

An A to Z of the Doric: an occasional series. D revisited

Doric, the dialect spoken in the North-East of Scotland is rich in words and phrases associated with the land and the sea. In this series I try to illustrate some of them in an A-Z using examples of their use taken mainly from Buchan Claik, The Saut an the Glaur o't written in 1989 by Peter Buchan and David Toulmin.

DARN: Excrement. Hence DRY DARN: Constipation

"The loon's been back at the black trykle bowie; he surely his the dry darn. Is at so, Stan? Black-sugar is affa gweed for that they say, but maybe he needs a dose o salts or castor-ile tae gie him a richt blaa oot." (The boy has been back at the black treacle barrel; he must be constipated. Is that so, Stan? They say that Licorice is very good for that, but perhaps he needs a dose of salts or castor oil to give him a really good blow out.)

For much of my life figs came in just two forms, as the sweet filling of a Fig Roll biscuit or as Syrup of Figs, a sweet fruity liquid for the curing of Dry Darn, or being fair Bunged Up as we said in the Yorkshire of my youth.

Now we can enjoy the fresh fruit courtesy of the modern supermarket.