BLOG TOUR: Cauld Blasts and Clishmaclavers - Robin A. Crawford

The evocative vocabulary, wit and wisdom of the Scots language – from Robert Burns to Twitter.

Scottish writer and bookseller, Robin Crawford, has gathered 1,000 Scots words – old and new, classical and colloquial, rural and urban – in a joyful celebration of their continuing usage. His amusing, erudite definitions put each of these words in context, revealing their evocative origins and essential character. Delightful line drawings by Scottish printmaker Liz Myhill contribute to this treasury of linguistic gems for language lovers everywhere.

The Scots language is intricately bound up in the nation’s history, identity, land and culture. It is also a living and vital vernacular, used daily. With references to Robert Burns mingling with contemporary examples from Billy Connolly and even Monty Python, Cauld Blasts and Clishmaclavers revels in the richness of one of our oldest languages, and acts as a precious 

reminder of words that are also beginning to fade away, their meaning and value disappearing.

Clishmaclaver: the passing on of idle gossip, sometimes in a book.

Inkie-pinkie: weak beer.

Sodie-heid: literally, ‘head full of soda bubbles’, airhead.

Smowt: youngster, technically a young trout or salmon but also affectionately applied to a child.

Simmer dim: Shetland term for long summer evenings where due to the northern latitude it never really gets dark.

Dreich: grey, miserable, tedious; usually applied to weather but indicative of the Scots temperament, hence it being voted Scotland’s favourite word in a recent poll (or perhaps indicative of the temperaments of Scots who feel the need to participate in online polls): ‘It’s gey dreich the day.’

What did I think?

I absolutely love books that explore the meaning of words, usually in the English language, so I was very intrigued by Cauld Blasts and Clishmaclavers: a treasury of 1,000 Scottish words.  It is well named as a treasury as this book is a little gem; I read it cover to cover for review purposes but it's the perfect book to dip in and out of and be entertained and delighted every single time.

ailsa cock (puffin)

Appearance wise, the book is beautiful with shiny gold lettering and a lovely purple thistle on the front.  After the fabulous introduction (which includes regional translations of a line from Julia Donaldson's The Gruffalo), the format is that of a dictionary but with stunning line drawings setting the theme of each section.  Each word is listed along with its meaning and often it's origin or an example of its usage.  I really enjoyed reading the excerpts of poems, novels and traditional rhymes and the sources are listed at the end of the book for any readers interested in further reading. 

I was surprised how many Scottish words we actually use in the North East of England and reading them in Cauld Blasts and Clishmaclavers brought to mind fond reminiscences of my childhood: playing dooky apples at Nanna's and giggling when my Uncles tickled me under the oxters.  I recall Nanna putting the sneck on to pop out for some messages and getting all the patter from the nebby women - this sentence might sound like a foreign language to some people but it makes complete sense to me.

The beauty of this book is that every reader will find something different that fascinates, intrigues or amuses them.  I started to make notes of my favourite words but there were just too many of them.  From the moment I picked up Cauld Blasts and Clishmaclavers and flicked through a few pages I knew that I was going to love it; it's a book that I will pick up over and over again and find something different every single time.  

Cauld Blasts and Clishmaclavers is a delightful addition to any bookcase and I expect my copy will be well thumbed and constantly recommended as these fabulous words are too good to keep to myself.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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About the author:

kellas cat (wildcat)

Born in Glasgow, writer and Scottish bookseller Robin A. Crawford has a particular interest in the culture and natural heritage of his native land. He is the critically acclaimed author of Into The Peatlands: A Journey Through the Moorland Year, longlisted for the Highland Book Prize 2019. He lives in Fife, Scotland, with his wife. He is available for interview.

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BLOG TOUR: The Real McCoy - Claire Cock-Starkey

I absolutely adore Claire Cock-Starkey's books so I am thrilled to take part in the blog tour for her latest book: The Real McCoy.  I have a fascinating extract to share with you as I close the tour and you can also read my review of this brilliant book.

The extract I have for you is 'guillotine' and I'm sure you will find the story as riveting as I did, especially as not everyone is delighted to have their name attached to something for eternity.

The English language is rich with eponyms - words that are named after an individual - some better known than others. 

This book features 150 of the most interesting and enlightening specimens, delving into the origins of the words and describing the fascinating people after whom they were named. Eponyms are derived from numerous sources. Some are named in honour of a style icon, inventor or explorer, such as pompadour, Kalashnikov and Cadillac. Others have their roots in Greek or Roman mythology, such as panic and tantalise. A number of eponyms, however, are far from celebratory and were created to indicate a rather less positive association - into this category can be filed boycott, Molotov cocktail and sadist. 

Encompassing eponyms from medicine, botany, invention, science, fashion, food and literature, this book uncovers the intriguing tales of discovery, mythology, innovation and infamy behind the eponyms we use every day. 

The perfect addition to any wordsmith's bookshelf.

What did I think?

Oh my word, The Real McCoy is such a fascinating book.  If you haven't come across Claire Cock-Starkey's riveting little books then you really are missing out on a treat.  I recommend every single one of them; see my reviews of The Book Lovers' Miscellany and A Library Miscellany.

Have you ever wondered about the origin of some of the everyday words in our English language?  Claire Cock-Starkey has gathered together some of the most amazing stories behind some well-known words in this collection of 150 eponyms.  An eponym is a person after whom something is named and some obviously have a person's name in their title, such as Earl Grey tea, Bunsen burner and Alzheimer's disease but my eyes opened in surprise and delight as I read about the less obvious eponyms; such everyday words as cereal, hygiene and biro.

This is a book to read from cover to cover then to revisit by dipping in and out of in order to regale your family and friends with your favourite linguistic stories.  There are some familiar stories like wellington, cardigan and sandwich but, even though I already knew their origin, they are told in such a perfectly concise way as to jog your memory and help to digest the facts.  It's a book that you won't be able to help yourself sharing with others as I found myself reading some of the stories out loud to my family.  That really is the mark of a good book when you feel the need to share it with others.

I absolutely adored The Real McCoy; it's fascinating, informative and the perfect gift for that awkward to buy for book lover in your life.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Cabinet of Linguistic Curiosities - Paul Anthony Jones

I love quirky books so I am delighted to take part in the blog tour for The Cabinet of Linguistic Curiosities.  This book could not be named any better, it is a veritable Aladdin's Cave of lost words and fascinating historical events.  Not only is it written by an author local to me, it led to my discovery of his brilliant @HaggardHawks Twitter account for more wordy-frivolity.

I am sharing my review for the blog tour but also an excerpt so you can see how each day is set out.  To save quarrelling with myself over what word to share for the tour (there are so many that stand out), I am sharing the word of today: 23rd October.

A whole year's worth of linguistic curiosities, just waiting to be discovered.

Within these pages you might leap back in time, learn about linguistic trivia, follow a curious thread or wonder at the web of connections in the English language.

1 January quaaltagh (n.) the first person you meet on New Year's Day

1 April dorbellist (n.) a fool, a dull-witted dolt

12 May word-grubber (n.) someone who uses obscure or difficult words in everyday conversation

25 September theic (adj.) an excessive drinker of tea

24 December doniferous (adj.) carrying a gift

Paul Anthony Jones has unearthed a wealth of strange and forgotten words: illuminating some aspect of the day, or simply telling a cracking good yarn, each reveals a story. Written with a light touch that belies the depth of research it contains, this is both a fascinating compendium of etymology and a captivating historical miscellany. Dip into this beautiful book to be delighted and intrigued throughout the year.

What did I think?

When I first opened The Cabinet of Linguistic Curiosities, I thought it might feel like reading a dictionary or an encyclopedia but even though there is so much to take in, I just couldn't get enough of it.  I read it as if a month was a chapter, but I also found myself flicking forward each day to see what the word of the day was and what fascinating little-known historical event I could regale my family and friends with.  

It is a treasure trove of interesting words and historical information and how the author links history to the word of the day is nothing short of brilliant.  It's a word of the day, a history lesson, and a fascinating fact book that would be the PERFECT gift for that person who is so difficult to buy for.  I've always preferred real books to kindle, but I really do think you would benefit from a hardback edition of this book.  It's a book you will always have to hand, whether you refer to it every day or bring it out when friends come round.  

I can see my copy of The Cabinet of Linguistic Curiosities being a firm fixture in my bookcase.  Actually, it will probably be as much out of the bookcase as in it, as I can't foresee a day going by when I won't open this fascinating book.  In years to come I may have to rein in my bookish-OCD and see a dog-eared copy as a much loved, much handled book rather than a mistreated book.  There's sure to be a word for such a well-used book so I'd better keep my eye on Haggard Hawks!

The Cabinet of Linguistic Curiosities is an awe-inspiring collection of trivia and fascinating facts for linguists, history lovers or anyone who loves the unusual and peculiar.  Definitely one I recommend and this is one book I will not be lending to anyone as I couldn't bear not to have it close to hand.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon




An excerpt from 23rd October:

thrimmel (n.)  to grudgingly repay a debt

Upon its independence in 1776, the United States was already in debt, and in 1789 that situation worsened when America assumed liability for $75 million of debts accumulated during the Revolutionary War. Concerted efforts brought that figure down to its lowest in history – $37,000 – by the mid 1830s, but spending on the military sent it spiralling back to the $1 bil- lion mark by the time of the Civil War. By the mid 1970s, debts had reached $500 billion, and on 23 October 1981, it was announced that the national debt of the United States had surpassed the $1 trillion mark for the very first time; half of that figure had been accumulated in just seven years. 

To repay a debt – and, specifically, to do so reluctantly – is to thrimble or thrumble, an English dialect word dating back to the mid sixteenth century. Thought to be derived from an earlier word, thrum, for a multitude or throng of people, on its earliest appearance in the language thrimble meant ‘to squeeze or press together’, like people standing in a dense crowd, or ‘to jostle’ or ‘to push your way through’. 

By the early seventeenth century, that meaning had broad- ened (perhaps with influence from the word thumb) to come to mean ‘to press or crush between the fingers’, and ultimately, ‘to toy or fiddle with something in your hands’. From there one last meaning developed in the late eighteenth century: according to the English Dialect Dictionary (Vol. VI, 1905), to thrimble is ‘to finger or handle anything as if reluctant to part with it’, and ultimately, ‘to dole or pay out money grudgingly or reluctantly’.

About the author:

PAUL ANTHONY JONES is something of a linguistic phenomenon. He runs @HaggardHawks Twitter feed, blog and YouTube channel, revealing daily word facts to 39,000 engaged followers. His books include Word Drops (2015) and The Accidental Dictionary (2016). His etymological contributions appear regularly, from the Guardian to the Telegraph, Buzzfeed to Huffington Post and BBC Radio 4.

He lives in Newcastle Upon Tyne and is available for all types of word-nerdery.  

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