I came across today’s word, spurtle, in a book I’m reading at the moment. It’s described as “a wooden utensil for stirring porridge” in the book, while according to Wikipedia it is:
a Scots kitchen tool, dating from at least the fifteenth century. It was originally a flat, wooden, spatula-like utensil, used for flipping oatcakes on a hot griddle. This terminology is now confined to Angus and Perthshire.
Over time, the original implement changed shape and began being used specifically for stirring oatmeal and soups. The rod-like shape is designed for constant stirring which prevents the porridge from congealing and so becoming lumpy and unappetising. It looks like a fat wooden dowel, often with a contoured end to give the user a better grip.
A Golden Spurtle is the first prize at the World Porridge Making Championships, which take place in Carrbridge in Scotland.
The Spurtle is also the name of a Scottish Country dance.
The etymology of spurtle is uncertain, however while searching for it, I found a possibly related word in A etymological dictionary of the Scottish language:
SPURKLE, A sort of spattle. “Scutching spurkle, a stick to beat flax.” “Thacking spurkle, a broad-mouth’d stick for thatching with”. […] perhaps Spurkle is merely a variety of Spurtle.
You can buy modern versions of these from Lee Valley Tools.
I wonder if it’s etymology is connected with the word ‘spire’ in the sense of: a slender tapering shoot, stem, stalk like a blade of grass or the tapering portion of a steeple? Related to Old Norse ‘spira’ (stalk) and German ‘spier’ (tip of blade of grass) Old English ‘spir’ (blade) and Latin ‘spina’ (thorn).
I’ve seen ‘spurkle’ written in combination with ‘parritch’ and ‘parratch’ (ie. porridge):
parritch-spurkle
parratch-stick
Also I saw connected with spurkles and oatcakes the word ‘pingle’ or ‘pinglie-pan’ – small shallow, metal cooking pan with a long handle, a saucepan.
Is it just me, or does “Spurtle” sound like the name of an x-rated Pokemon?
Yesterday a friend gave me a spurtle and told me what it was used for. I haven’t used it
yet, to stir porridge, but I think it’s the neatest little tool. I am an avid “kitchen gadget
guru” – and I bet this can be used in a hundred different ways.