Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1728, 1827, 1893
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†KILTER, n. Also kelter. Entertainment, good cheer, celebration (Sc. 1808 Jam.); good condition, good spirits. Also in Eng. dial.Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) II. 70:
Syne on my Fair hours' Luntion chew'd my Cude, Sic Kilter pat me in a merry Mood.Sc. 1827 Scott Letters (Cent. ed.) X. 198:
His brother Jack is here in kelter.Sc. 1893 Stevenson Letters (Colvin 1911) IV. 200:
I . . . am miserably out of heart and out of kilter.
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"Kilter n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 17 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/kilter>
