Scottish Word of the Day: Drouth/Drouthy

THOSE of you who like a drink or two might recognise ‘drouthy’ from the name of certain pubs in Scotland - there are four named ‘Drouthy Neebors’ in the city of Edinburgh and in Dundee, Stirling and St Andrews.

Those who are more concerned with Scottish heritage might recognise the phrase from the opening lines of Robert Burns’ epic poem ‘Tam O’Shanter.’

‘When Chapman billies leave the street,

And drouthy neebors neebors meet,

As market-days are wearing late,

An’ folk begin to tak the gate;’

‘Drouth’ is used as an adjective for thirsty, normally for some form of alcohol or liquor whereas ‘drouthy,’ is often used to refer especially to those who have a particular fondness for drink. For example, there might be one or two drouthy men making for the pub tonight - or ‘drouthy neebors neebors meeting.’

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Rudyard Kipling also makes reference in ‘The Second Jungle Book’ to a ‘drouthy fear,’ seemingly referring to thirst.

‘The stream is shrunk--the pool is dry, And we be comrades, thou and I; With fevered jowl and dusty flank Each jostling each along the bank; And by one drouthy fear made still, Forgoing thought of quest or kill.’

The word is believed to have initially referred to dry and humid weather, which may be where Kipling got the word from. Originally, drought meant dryness (as is still implied today) and it’s quite evident that the Scots ‘drouth’ is derived from, or at least linked to the English word. Both are also believed to stem from the Old English word’ drugath.’