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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

TATTER, n.1 Also tatther (Uls.). Sc. usages in phr., comb. and deriv.: 1. in a tatter, in ragged or dishevelled clothes; 2. tatter-fudded, with one's trousers in rags. See Fud, n.1; 3. tatterwallop, -wullop, (1) gen. in pl.: rags, tatters, torn flapping clothing (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Sh., ne.Sc., Ags., Per., Fif. 1972), shreds in gen., a ragged garment. Adj. tatterwallop(p)y, ragged, tattered; (2) a ragged person, tatterdemalion (Ork., ne.Sc. 1972); (3) as a v.: to hang or flutter in rags (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 190); 4. tattery, tatthery (Uls.). adj., (1) ragged, in shreds or tatters, hanging loose; (2) very windy (Rxb. 1954 Hawick News (18 June) 7; Lnk., s.Sc. 1972).1. Ayr. 1817 D. McKillop Poems 107:
Aff rantin', whiles, tho' in a tatter, To see their deary.
2. Sc. 1880 J. Nicol Poems 29:
The dirty tatter-fudded poor stowaway.
3. (1) Edb. 1801 J. Thomson Poems 84:
Upo' their tails there wad be knots, Or in their place a tatter-wallop.
Abd. 1804 W. Tarras Poems 45:
Some musty books lay 'mang the reek, In tatterwallops torn.
Fif. 1812 W. Ranken Poems 86:
There merit begs on wooden legs, In many a tatterwallop.
Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin xxxi.:
A' her claes torn to tatter-wallops.
Ags. 1885 Brechin Advert. (17 March) 3:
That auld tatterwallop 'ill never gang aboot my shou'ders.
Kcd. 1900 W. Gairdner Glengoyne II. iii.:
A squad o' them cam' ower here-awa' in fair tatter-wullops to help to mak' the Railway.
Abd. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick xv.:
Some o' their kilts's gey tatterwalloppy aboot 'e tails.
(2) Sc. 1910 Chambers's Jnl. (30 Jan.) 1:
Ye're aye tearin' yer clothes, ye wee tatter-wallops!
Abd. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick xxii.:
Fa's seekin a tatterwallop o' a randy like you . . . staivyin aboot oor toon?
4. (1) Sc. 1828 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) II. 165:
Its big branches a' tattery and its wee anes a' frush as saugh-wands.
Sc. 1843 Carlyle Hist. Sk. (1898) 242:
Deluges of tangled tattery hair.
Sc. 1867 Carlyle Reminisc. (1881) II. 21:
Books in tattery, ill-bound or unbound condition.
Ags. 1934 G. M. Martin Dundee Worthies 116:
Unto a tattery bunch o' fire To turn the form seem'd.

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"Tatter n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 29 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/tatter_n1>

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