Missing words
Sir: I have no doubt that Matthew Parris (Another Voice, 16 August) will be delighted to hear that the word smirr, meaning drizzle, is a Scots word which has by no means fallen into disuse. Likewise, he will be overjoyed to learn that the Scots word knapdarloch, referring to the matted hair or knots of dung adhering to the rear end of an animal (and also, although hopefully less commonly, around the human anus), is also in common use throughout Scotland’s agricultural areas. Neither of these words are native to Orkney or Shetland.
John Duff
Braemar, Aberdeenshire
Sir: For words meaning ‘the day before yesterday’ and ‘the day after tomorrow’, Matthew Parris might use the Dutch expressions: ‘ereyesterday’ and ‘overmorrow’.
Jolijt Hutchison
By email
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