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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

FLICHTER, v., n. Also flicher, †fleecher, †fl(e)ighter, †flichtir; †flychter; ¶flicter (Lnk. 1923 G. Rae Langsyne in Braefoot iii.), flickar, -er. [Sc. ′flɪç(t)ər, Ork. fləiçtər]

I. v. 1. To flutter, fly awkwardly or unsteadily (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Fif., Lth. 1926 Wilson Cent. Scot. 242; Ork., ne.Sc., Ags., Fif., Peb. 1951); to rush excitedly, “to move from place to place without any fixed purpose” (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 48). In 1905 quot. ppl.adj. flichtered means fledged.Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems 68:
Transparent were his Wings and fair, Which bare him flightering throw the Air.Sc. 1737 Ramsay Proverbs (1750) 90:
The bird maun flighter that flees with ae wing.Hdg. 1765 J. Brown Christian Jnl. 44:
Another calls them [poultry] to the hungry feast of a few corns or crumbs: — how they run! how they flighter to it!Rnf. 1790 A. Wilson Poems 190:
I flighter't hame; but och! dread scene! Whose horror crush'd my breath.Sc. 1821 Scott Pirate v.:
A brave goose to be flichtering and fleeing in the wind when he might abide upon terra firma!Ayr. 1822 Galt Entail xxviii.:
Her spirits mounted, and, as she said herself, “were flichtering in the very air.”Rnf. 1833 in J. Cairnie Curling 126:
Doos flichter't thro' amang the stacks, And craws upo' the toll-road tracks.Bnff. 1872 W. Philip It'ill a' Come Richt ii.:
Like some men's wives that . . . flichter aboot ilka day like butterflees in silks and falderals.Lth. 1892 J. Lumsden Sheep-Head 317:
In Autumn time the leaf fa's, Flicherin' frae the trees abune.Bnff. a.1897 M. M. Banks Cal. Customs Scot. (1939) II. 142:
If it happens while a boat is at the fishing that the wind varies much, the saying is, 'flicherin' Fevverear's come back.'Gall. 1901 R. Trotter Gall. Gossip 67:
The hens wus flichterin aboot the hoose an scraichin like onything.Abd. 1905 J. Fullerton Poems 63:
The auld birds hoverin' near, Wi tasty bit, an' e'en a sang The flichtered things tae cheer.Sc. 1933 W. Soutar Seeds in the Wind 22:
The fleurs are at the fa' . . . They're flichterin' doun in shoo'rs, Like shoo'rs o' snaw.m.Sc. 1979 William J. Rae in Joy Hendry Chapman 23-4 (1985) 78:
Aabody kent the greedy craitur had a secret store o worms he had caught wi his great, muckle, flichterin tongue. Abd. 2000 Sheena Blackhall The Singing Bird 1:
A birdie flichters oot an in
The open doorway o its cage.
Its flicht is short, its sang is wee,
Smaa is the circuit o its stage.

Comb. and derivs.: (1) flichter-lichtie, “a light-headed person that cannot settle down to any employment” (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 48; Bnff.⁹ 1951). Cf. flachter-lichtit, s.v. Flauchter, v.², 3.; (2) flichtersome, changeable, full of whims, fitful (Id.); (3) flichtery, id. (Cai. 1900 E.D.D.; Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 247; Ags.¹⁹ 1952); excitable, flighty.(1) Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 48:
That flichter-lichtie o' a craitur wiz flirdin' aboot in a' directions.Abd. 1924 Scots Mag. (Oct.) 58:
Yon flichterlichty feddir o' a craitur is aye up to some aivis or idder.(2) Bnff. 1887 G. G. Green Gordonhaven 51:
He said weemin folk was flichtersome an' easy fleyt.Abd. 1933 J. H. Smythe Barrowsgate 43:
He mappit his coorse throu' the heather an, whins, B' the licht o' a flichtersome meen.(3) Sc. 1979 Maurice Lindsay Collected Poems 42:
I'd liefer be keepan tryst wi you nor a flichterie woman, faus and licht! Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 4:
Bit Bruce, their brither, hid wyled a wife like ye'd chuse a gee-gaw fur yer hoose - a flichtertie craitur, Sassenach, wi lang crammasie fingernails, ...

‡2. To run with outspread arms, “like a tame goose half-flying: applied to children, when running to those to whom they are much attached” (Dmf. 1825 Jam.).Ayr. 1785 Burns Cotter's Saturday Night iii.:
The expectant wee-things, toddlan, stacher through To meet their Dad wi' flichterin noise and glee.Edb. 1822 R. Wilson Poems 119:
While ye flicht'rin' us'd to waddle Round yer thrifty mother's knee?s.Sc. 1897 E. Hamilton Outlaws xviii.:
Just haud your arms abraid, man, and see gif she doesna gae flighterin' to you right-now like a cheiper to its minnie.n.Sc. 1916 M. Maclean Songs 15:
The younkers a' cam' flichterin' roon tae teach their faither sense.

3. Of the heart, etc. or the emotions: to flutter, quiver, palpitate (ne.Sc. 1942). Ppl.adj. flichtered, excited. Comb. †flightering-fain, throbbing with joy. With up, to get angry or excited.Sc. c.1700 J. Masson in Coll. Dying Testimonies (ed. Calderwood 1806) 46:
When I heard it first mentioned, I thought my heart flightered within me for joy.Sc. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Shep. ii. iv.:
My heart was flightering fain.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore 58:
Amidst this horror, sleep did on her steal, An' for a wee her flightering breast did heal.Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 268:
An' you alane sit peerless i' my heart, It's fleech'rin' now, an' claims its better part.Hdg. 1801 R. Gall Songs (1819) 128:
I fell on his bosom, heart-flichtered an' fain.Sc. 1820 Scott Monastery iii.:
Our leddy is half gane already, as ye may see by that fleightering of the ee-lid.Bnff. 1872 W. Philip It'ill a' Come Richt xv.:
Ma heart his terribble flichterins i' the nicht.Ags. 1873 D. M. Ogilvy Poems 211:
I've heard her dowie tale, Wi' flichterin' voice, sad sighs, and watery e'en.Dmf. 1898 J. Paton Castlebraes 142:
It's easy eneuch, for the Richt Honourable there, tae flichter up aboot the expense.Fif. 1991 Tom Hubbard in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 144:
The rare Cresseid; she, whase flichterin hairt
Felt delicat as ony timorsome mavie
That liltit owre oor heids. Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 62:
"Come awa then," quo Tullio hypocreetically. "Are ye in a dwaum? Pit the fit doon."
Wi her vyce sweetened bi the flichterin o luve, Ines agreed: ... Abd. 1998 Sheena Blackhall The Bonsai Grower 20:
... an there wis sic a sweetness an pouer in thon kiss that her hale warld gaed tapsalteerie, ... Efter thon, her braith flichtered finiver she saw Gibby Craig, ...

4. Of light: to flicker, gleam fitfully (Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 247, flicher; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Fif., Peb., Kcb., Dmf. 1951). Also fig.Sc. 1819 Scott Bride of Lamm. xxvii.:
It is not a flightering blink of prosperity which can change my constant opinion in this regard.Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch (1839) xix.:
The flichtering of the flames glancing on the houses on the opposite side of the street.Lnk. 1881 Clydesdale Readings 227:
Dimly lichted wi' a single penny can'le . . . that flichtered on the mantelpiece.Abd. 1893 G. Macdonald Sc. Songs 133:
The stars are steady abune; I' the water they flichter and flee.Sc. 1930 Scots Mag. (June) 179:
A queer kin' o' licht that flichtered up an' doon.

5. To startle, alarm (n.Sc. 1808 Jam.; Ags. 1951). Ppl.adj. flichtered, flight-, afraid, frightened (Ags. 1830 A. Balfour Weeds and Wildflowers 221).Sc. 1712 in H. Miller Scenes and Leg. (1850) x.:
It is in the night-time that evil spirits and wild beasts seize on folk, and cry in the streets to fleg and flichter them.Ags. 1889 Barrie W. in Thrums xi.:
They were juist as flichtered themsels.

II. n. 1. A flutter(ing), lit. and fig. (Fif., Lth. 1926 Wilson Cent. Scot. 242; Bnff.² 1943; Wgt. 1951; Bnff., Ags., Ayr. 2000s); a scurry; a state of excitement (Abd.²⁷ 1951).Ayr. 1823 Galt Gathering of West 37:
Everybody's on the flichter to see the King.Abd. 1873 P. Buchan Inglismill 47:
Like birds i' the flichtir, Rade roun' an' roun', wi' muckle mirth an lauchter.Ayr. 1879 J. White Jottings 272:
At ilka bit flicher I hear something whisper, That mak's me e'en doubtful If my heart's a' my ain.wm.Sc. 1903 “S. Macplowter” Mrs McCraw 109:
Ye're in an awfu' flichter the day!Ayr. 1912 G. Cunningham Verse 47:
The weans in a flichter aroun' him wad gether.

2. A small particle or flake, as of snow (Slk. 1825 Jam.; Cai.⁹, Fif.¹⁴ 1952), soot (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Bnff.⁸ 1925; Cai.⁹ 1951); a chip of wood (Cai.³ 1951), a splinter. Also used collectively; “a great number of small objects flying in the air; as a flichter of birds, a flichter of motes, etc.” (Upp. Lnk. 1825 Jam.).Sc. 1874 A. Hislop Sc. Anecdotes 617:
Ye'll no tak a flicher o' meal on the tap o't, father?Mry. 1897 J. Mackinnon Braefoot Sk. 73:
The aul' fowk, ye ken, wad 'ave hauden a girnin', discontentit littlin ower the fire, an' if it had been a changed cratur it wad 'ave gane oot at the lum like a flichter.Dmf. 1898 J. Paton Castlebraes 244:
Ma haun' gruppit the buik-brod, an' gif I could hae torn aff a flichter o't, . . . I wad hae felled the leein' snot.Lth. 1925 C. P. Slater Marget Pow 212:
The motes and the flichters are a' over the house owin' to the peat we're usin'.

3. Of light: a flicker, an intermittent glimmer or glow (Fif., Lth. 1926 Wilson Cent. Scot. 242; Fif. 1951; Ags., Ayr. 2000s).Sc. 1826 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) I. 240:
She might saftly glide outower the neck before the solitary shepherd in a flichter o' rainbow light.wm.Sc. 1868 Laird of Logan 79:
Just looking at the luntin'-coal, and listening to its bit bickering flichter.Sc. 1979 Maurice Lindsay Collected Poems 36:
Gin I was Betelgeuse birlan awa up there frae the first, reid flichter o time tae the end o evermair.