WELCOME TO AN ENTERTAINMENT SITE FOR SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCERS!
Enjoy this curated selection of theme-related dances for celebrations and holidays, or find a dance associated with a special calendar day, or EVEN your own birthday!
Grumpy Cat
Oct 15
Grouch Day
Crabbit Shona
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
"The beginner's unsure, yet eager to grow,
The more practiced move boldly, with much left to know.
The expert is wise, with a kind, open hand,
Welcoming all to the joy of the dance of the land
With patience we step, some falter, some glide,
But mistakes are just moments where lessons abide.
So don't fear a stumble, or stepping too wrong,
For the dance lifts us up, where all feet belong!
~ The Three Stages of Dancing
Feeling annoyed or irritated by everything and everyone today? Gotten your dancing feet a bit stomped or been body-checked by someone in the next set over? If you're feeling grouchy, grumpy, or crabbit, it may be because today is official Grouch Day!
Grouch Day is observed on October 15 as a lighthearted celebration of lovable grumps, with Oscar the Grouch—the iconic, trash-can-dwelling resident of Sesame Street—as its unofficial mascot. Along with Ebenezer Scrooge, Garfield the Cat, and other bad-tempered characters, Oscar reminds us that a good grumble can be surprisingly entertaining. And if dancing feet have been trodden on once too often, perhaps a little “Crabbit Shona” is just the thing—though even a grouch might find it difficult to maintain a proper scowl through a lively jig!
Crabbit Shona is a Scottish jig tune composed by Angus R. Grant (son of the famous fiddler Angus Grant Sr.), meaning "Grumpy Shona" or "Ill-tempered Shona."
The title is derived from two Scots words:
Crabbit: A Scottish term meaning bad-tempered, grumpy, or ill-humored.
Shona: An anglicization of the Scots Gaelic names Seonag (equivalent to Joan) or Seonaid (equivalent to Janet).
The tune was written in the early 1980s about a woman named Shona McAulay, a barmaid at the Glenfinnan House Hotel, who was reportedly "utterly crabbit" when the bar closed at 3 a.m. "
Well, this lively 32 bit jig for two couples, devised by Becky Sager is designed to lighten the mood! The devisor writes: "This is just a teaching exercise, a blend of Galloway House and Leap Year. The name and music are still available for a real dance."
In my personal experience, seasoned and advanced dancers in the Scottish Country Dance community tend to be gracious and encouraging to newer dancers while sometimes ... just sometimes ... certain less than expert dancers might forget their own early days and not be as tolerant as they could be.
Still, best to be wary of your dancing feet and non-standard footwear, just in case! 😜 🕺 💃 💜 💙 💜 🩰
Crabbit Shona
The word "grouch" traces its origins to the late 19th century in the United States, with its roots possibly in the Old French word "groucier," meaning "to grumble or complain." Some linguists believe it may be related to the Middle English "grucchen," which had a similar meaning. Over time, "grouch" evolved into the familiar term for a person who is habitually irritable or complains frequently.
In Scotland, there are some colorful and distinctive synonyms for a grouch:
"Crabbit": A Scots term meaning bad-tempered or grumpy. It’s often used in a lighthearted or affectionate way, as in “Aye, he’s a bit crabbit the morn.”
"Grumphie": Though more commonly used to refer to a pig, in some Scottish dialects, it’s playfully used for a person who’s particularly sulky or cantankerous, much like a grouch.
"Dour": While "dour" can refer to someone who is stern or unyielding, in Scotland, it’s often used to describe a person who is sour, sullen, or joyless.
For more etymological theories about the word "grouch", click the most famous Grouch after Groucho Marx!
Click the dance cribs or description below to link to a printable version of the dance!
