Scottish word of the day: Lum

Published on 28/08/2012 15:38

LUM is the Scottish word used to describe a chimney.

Once a common occurrence in the Scots vernacular, its use has depreciated with the demise of brick tenements and the move towards more modern living.

The popularity of gas central heating and the demise of dirty fuels such has coal has meant less call for chimneys in our homes and factories and in turn less use for the world ‘lum’ .

The expression ‘lang may your lum reek’, may sound rather rude it actually means ‘Long may your chimney burn’, meaning ‘long may you live’.

It also has a more practical meaning as in ‘may you always be prosperous enough to have fuel’.

A similar phrase has yet to be coined in relation to electricity cards and power bills.