An A to Z of the Doric: an occasional series. G

Doric, the dialect spoken in the North-East of Scotland is rich in words and phrases associated with the land and the sea. Over the next few weeks I will try to illustrate some of them in an A-Z using examples of their use taken mainly from Buchan Claik, The Saut an the Glaur o't written in 1989 by Peter Buchan and David Toulmin.

GRAAVIT: A scarf, usually home-knitted.

"Ye better pit on yer graavit, this caal mornin." (You should put on your scarf, on this cold norning.)

This small selection of Mrs Talpa's graavits (not home-knitted!) are sitting on a chair from a quite different culture, from the Orkney islands. Orkney Chairs have short legs and frames traditionally made of driftwood together with a woven straw back to keep out the draughts. When we bought ours, quite a few years ago now, we had to wait over 18 months for it to be made and when it did eventually arrive it was on the back of a fish lorry!