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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

GANNER, n., v. Also gain(n)er; genner (Sh. 1913 J. M. Hutcheson W.-L.; Kcb.⁹ 1954), ga(a)ner; gainder (Lth. 1926 Wilson Cent. Scot. 244; Rxb.⁵ 1946), gender (Ayr. 1923 Wilson Dial. Burns 165). Sc. forms of Eng. gander. [Sc. ′gɑnər, but Cai., Bwk. Rxb. + ′genər, Ayr. + ′gɛnd-; Sh., Kcb. ′gɛnər, Lth. ′gendər. See also P.L.D. § 64.]

I. n. A gander (Sc. 1798 Monthly Mag. (Dec.) 435, gainer; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., gainer; Sh., Cai.⁷, Abd., Ags., Ayr.⁸ (ganner), Rxb.⁴ 1954). Also fig. = a stupid person, a “goose.”Ork. 1734 Proc. Ork. Antiq. Soc. (1923) 65:
Six brood geese and a ganner.Slk. 1818 Hogg B. of Bodsbeck I. xii.:
O furnish him this night wi' the wings o' the wild gainner or the eagle.Sc. 1831 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1856) III. 267:
Mithers and nourices wull hush the babbies on their breists wi' the cry o' “the Ganner!”Rxb. 1847 J. Halliday Rustic Bard 119:
Ye'll maybe haud me but a cacklin' ganner.Bwk. 1863 A. Steel Poems 49:
I'd send the ganers Ance mair to Willie's skelpin' school To mend their manners.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin xii.:
He wad seize hauds o' the fiddle . . . makin' a skraighin' noise like a score o' gan'ers.Abd. 1881 W. Paul Past & Present 126:
The geese chaps at the yitt; the gaaner he cries, fa?ne.Sc. 1914 G. Greig Folk-Song cxxxviii.:
The ganer stealt my bannock, an' dang me ower forby.

II. v. To wander (about) aimlessly or in the foolish-looking manner of a gander (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Abd.²⁷, Rxb. ⁵ 1954). Also in Eng. dial. in forms gander, gonder.Slk. 1822 Hogg Perils of Man III. 202:
What are ye gaun gaindering about that gate for, as ye didna ken whilk end o' ye were uppermost?