Crypt lid, quilted, insulated and soundproofed on the inside, is held open in the early morning dark in the Dundee Howff by an attendant as a figure descends its stairs into the electric lit up to date equipped depths.
The Scottish Word:

Howff.

It’s a heid scratcher tae aw o us, o immortal Lord, why ye settled yer secret eternal abode doonstairs in The Howff, it’s got mair deid bodies than ye can shak a stick at.

And it’s owerleuked aw weys an there’s aye some jakey or ither cuttin aboot in here no matter the day or the oor.

Mind you, yer trust fund has kept us in marmalade oer the generations so massell and my descendants wul spier ye nane ahn we’ll aye be here tae attend tae ye on yer annual October outings.

But I suspect yer plans tae place solar panels on the roof o the crypts and wind generators tae replace the urns oan the pillars is going tae draw unwanted attention.

Especially in Dundee.

Translate:

howff: An enclosed open space, a yard, in Dundee a particular old graveyard in the city centre.

It’s a puzzle to all of us, oh immortal Lord, why you settled your secret eternal abode downstairs in The Howff, it’s got more dead bodies than you can shake a stick at.

And it’s overlooked all ways and there’s always some odd-body or other cutting about in here whatever the day or the hour.

However, your trust fund has kept us in marmalade over the generations so me and my descendants wont ask any questions and we will always be here to attend to you on your annual October outings.

But I suspect your plans to place solar panels on the roof of the crypts and wind generators to replace the urns on the pillars is going to draw unwanted attention.

Especially in Dundee.

hʌuf
The Scottish Word: howff with its definition and its meaning illustrated and captioned with the word used in context in the Scots language and in English.

(This is a Scotstober 2024 Word.)

All of the Scotstober words illustrated for week three are available to scroll through on a single page here.

The Howff.

The Howff is a burial ground in the city of Dundee, Scotland. Established in 1564, it has one of the most important collections of tombstones in Scotland, and is protected as a category A listed building.

The majority of graves face exactly due east.

The graveyard is highly unusual by Scottish standards, containing a high number of Roman-style coffer tombs. It also contains a high number of inscriptions which philosophise on death itself rather than discussing the person interred.

The Howff. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. August 26, 2024

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