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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

FLINDER, n., v.1 Also flender, -ir (s.Sc.), flin(n)er, and irreg. form flinter (Abd. 1839 Buchan Clown 44; Dmf. 1898 J. Paton Castlebraes 205).

I. n. Gen. in pl.: fragments, splinters, smithereens (Rnf., Dmf. 1825 Jam.; ‡Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Sh., Abd., Ags. 1952). Orig. Sc. but occasionally used in Eng. in 19th cent. Also in Eng. dial.Sc. 1722 W. Hamilton Wallace 246:
On either Side, the Spears in Flinders flew.
Abd. c.1750 R. Forbes Jnl. from London (1755) 31:
The swingle-trees flew in flinders, as gin they had been as freugh as kail-castacks.
Sc. 1784 Jock o' the Side in Child Ballads No. 187 B xxi.:
The next chaind dore that they cam at, They gard it a' in flinders flee.
Ayr. 1786 Burns On a Scotch Bard v.:
'Twill mak her poor, auld heart, I fear, In flinders flee.
Lnk. a.1832 W. Watt Poems (1860) 180:
A' the dishes brak to flinners.
Rxb. 1847 J. Halliday Rustic Bard 168:
Now ye your barrels into flenders May ding wi' speed.
ne.Sc. 1884 D. Grant Lays 108:
Snappin' chains like rotten lingans, Garrin' doors in flinders flee.
Gall. 1901 R. Trotter Gall. Gossip 304:
He wud scatter their brains on the road, he wud ding them inta flinners, he wud dust the stoor oot o' their jackets.
Edb. 1916 T. W. Paterson Wyse-Sayin's xxix. 1:
Wha hears the repruif he weel deserves, But hauds on his ain gate dourer than afore, Wull be brangl't to flinders whan he's nane expeckin't.

II. v. To smash to pieces. Rare.Sc.(E) 1871 P. H. Waddell Psalms x. 15:
Flinder ye the arm o' the ill-doen, an' eke o' the ill-heartit man.
Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 84:
beezer conkers crackt owre soon,
flin'ert on tirlin strings.

[O.Sc. has flenderis, 1438, flinderis, 1596, n., id. From Scand. Cf. Norw. dial. flindra, a splinter, flake.]

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"Flinder n., v.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/flinder_n_v1>

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