FW: [Lexicog] plough mud

[Crockett]

One more thing from my contact from Charleston after he read the Scottish
entry further below:

 

As I read the entry better, I'm 100% sure that there is no direct connection
between these words. The "pluff" below refers to a material which has a
foamy structure but is mostly composed of air or liquid, encapsulated by the
framework of said material. Pluff mud is nothing like this at all. It is
very dense and not at all "pluffy" in the sense of the below entry. I really
think that the most likely origin of this word is onomatopoetic.

 

W

 

From: lexicographylist
Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2010 10:16 AM
Subject: Re: [Lexicog] plough mud

 

  

Following up on the Scottish angle, the Dictionar o the Scots Leid
(http://www.dsl.ac.uk/dsl/), gives the following for 'pluff':

 

PLUFF, adv., n., v. Also plaff; pyuff; pluiff (Watson); plugh- (Jam.). Cf.
<http://www.dsl.ac.uk/dsl/snda4frames.php?xref=yes&searchtype=full&dregion=f
orm&dtext=all&sset=1&fset=20&query=Bluff> BLUFF.    

I. adv. With a puff, whoof! (Sh., Abd., Ags. 1966). 

II. n. 1. A mild explosion, whiff or puff of air, smoke, gunpowder or the
like (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Sh., ne.Sc., Kcb. 1966); an act
of shooting, a shot. Also fig. Comb. pluff-grass, pyuff-girse, the creeping
or meadow soft-grass, Holcus mollis or lanatus (Mry. 1839 G. Gordon Flora
Mry. 4; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 131; Abd. 1930 Buchan Observer (18 Dec.),
pyuff-), from the lightness and fluffiness of its seeds. Phr. to play pluff,
to go off with a puff, to explode.

2. Hence applied to anything of a dry, soft, crumbly or spongy texture which
disintegrates easily into dust, specif. a rotten mushroom (Sc. 1825 Jam.), a
pear or the like which looks edible but is rotten inside (Rxb. 1825 Jam.); a
seed-pod with a cluster of small woolly seeds like that of a dandelion (Sh.
1966). Combs. pea-pluff, pea-flour, peasemeal, s.v.
<http://www.dsl.ac.uk/dsl/snda4frames.php?xref=yes&searchtype=full&dregion=f
orm&dtext=all&sset=1&fset=20&query=Pease> PEASE; pluff-up, = 8. (Ags. 1900).

    

There are many more senses and numerous examples, including a description of
the Game of Pluffs.

 

Note that the spelling plugh- is also given. The relationship with plough
mud could be that the mud has texture like a rotten pear (I've never been to
Charleston so I can't comment!) or possibly the gaseous emissions.

 

Are there strong Scottish connections in Charleston?

 

Richard Gravina

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