crowdie

English

Etymology

Alteration of Early Scots crud (“curd”), cognate with Early Modern English and Middle English crud, crudde (14th c.), crodde of obscure origin.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkɹaʊdi/

Noun

crowdie (countable and uncountable, plural crowdies)

1. (Scotland, now historical) Gruel or thin porridge.
   • 1982, TC Boyle, Water Music, Penguin, published 2006, page 270:

     The old woman shuffled out from the back room with a handful of coal and a bowl of crowdie for the boy.

2. A Scottish form of cottage cheese.

Scots

Alternative forms

• croodie, croudie, croudy, crowdy

Etymology

Evolution of Early Scots crud, cognate with Early Modern English and Middle English crud or crudde (“coagulated milk; curd; any coagulated or thickened substance; dregs”), without undergoing the metathesis of Modern English curd. Derives from Old English crūdan (“to press”), itself from the earlier Proto-Germanic *krūdaną, *kreudaną, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *grewt- (“to push; press”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /krʌudi/

Noun

crowdie (uncountable)

1. (Especially in the Highlands) A soft fresh cheese, similar to the English cottage cheese, which is traditionally produced from naturally soured milk. In some modern preparations it is rolled in oats, or mixed with herbs or spices such as peppercorns.
2. A dish of oatmeal mixed with cold water, similar to brose.
3. A mixed food of many ingredients.

Derived terms

• crowdie-mowdie