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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Slidder, -ir, adj. (n.). Also: slyddir, slyder. [ME and e.m.E. slider (c1280), sledyr (Manning), slydyr (Prompt. Parv.), sclidere, sclydyr (Cath. Angl.), slydder (1526), appar. obs. in 1533, OE slidor. In the later and mod. dial.]

1. Chiefly fig. or in fig. context: Slippery. a. Liable to cause (a person) to fall; specif. in proverb. use in collocation with hall binkis, seit, etc., (cf. Hall n. 4 b), liable to cause a fall from power. a1500 Henr. Fab. 2608.
Bewar in welth, for hall benkis ar rycht slidder a1500 Prestis of Peblis 614.
Hal binks ar ay slidder 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 352.
Quho sittith moist hie sal fynd the sait most slidder 1570 Sat. P. xxi 31.
Clyde banks thairfoir thay sall find slidder, Quhen kindlit is Gods ire a1578 Pitsc. I 151/3.
Oft tymes thay find that seit most slidder That they haue keipit in the kingis menoritie Vsing thair awin proffeit and commoditie a1700 Mare of Colinton 62.
Aft she fell the get was slidder

b. Not easy to hold or control. a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. 307/72.
The grip of thame is sliddir 1686 G. Stuart Joco-Ser. Disc. 20.
My tongue is grown sae slip and slidder It glents and glyd's I knaw not whither

2. fig. Inconstant, mutable, unreliable. b. Const. to do (something): ? Slow, sluggish. (In this sense, in the later dial.) a1487 Gud Wyf & D. 8.
Womanis honor is mair slyder [Thewis Gud Women tendyr & slyddir] And eythar blekyt be mekill thing 1513 Doug. xiii v 49.
Wofull wyght, Quhou hastely doun fallyn from the hight Thir slyddir [Ruddim. slyddry] warldly chancis dryvis fast 1535 Stewart 51413.
Of thair nature tha ar baith fals and slidder, Thair word and thocht accordis nocht togidder 1535 Stewart 58639.
The quheill of Fortoun is baith fals and slidder To euerie stait, without stabillitie c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3711.
Warldly power bene bot slydder 1567 Sat. P. vi 50.
Ȝe se all warldly gloir for to be slidder a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. 320/3.
This warldlis vanite Sa broukle and sa sliddirb. a1570-86 Maitl. F. 439/58.
This cumis nocht … That men to trawell now ar slidder For … Quhidder ȝe trawell neir or far … Ȝe shall thame ay in ȝour gett find

3. noun. Slipperiness. 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1776.
Climmand vp thay lustie wallis … Bot thay na grippis thair micht hald for slidder c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 748.
Nane micht hald thair feit for slidder