Aug 292010
There’s just time to pop into a shop on Westray before it closes for lunch. “It’s not a very fine day today is it?” is the greeting awaiting me as I enter through one of the two doors on the storm porch (one for each wind direction – if the wind was strong I wouldn’t be able to get in one of them). I agree wholeheartedly and browse. Immediately a Westrayman comes in the door behind me. He’s a university student but back for the summer in his blue overalls helping out on the farm. “It’s a bit dreek today isn’t it?” is the greeting which awaits him.
Dreek indeed.
Urban Dictionary: dreek
It means bad weather. The kind of weather which makes you miserable: dull, grey and wet. If it rains hard and water runs down your neck it’s dreek.
Hmmm, not to argue with the Urban Dictionary but in Scots that’s spelled ‘dreich’ ;) You get to know dreich once you’ve lived in Scotland for a while. Like the Eskimos have about 97 words for snow, there are 83 words for gray/rainy up here ;) (but that’s why it’s so green!)
Urban Dictionary is a most intriguing site! I have posted a definition on there myself, though not one I have heard used all that much!