[Lexicog] plough mud

[Richard Gravina]

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. 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. 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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