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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SNOCHER, v., n. Also snocker, snockir, snokkir, snoker. [′snoxər, -kər]

I. v. 1. To snort, to breathe heavily and noisily through the nose, to snuffle (Sc. 1710 T. Ruddiman Gl. to Douglas Aeneis, snoker, s.v. snokis; Sc. 1808 Jam.; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff, 174; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; ne. and em.Sc.(a) 1971). Also fig.; tr., to snort or puff out. Also ppl.adj. snochrin.Ags. 1790 D. Morison Poems 82:
Gin she but bring a wee bit tocher, And calshie fortune deign to snocher.Slk. 1825 Hogg Queer Book (1832) 184:
He hemm'd, and he snocker'd so awsome loud, That the leaves shook on the tree.Edb. 1878 J. Smith Peggy Pinkerton 35:
Wi' Pincher [his dog] snockerin' at his side.Ags. 1887 A. D. Willock Rosetty Ends 135:
A snarlin' an' snocherin' that cudna hae been surpassed by that heard by the wicked coonsellors o' Darius.Fif. 1890 A. Burgess Poute 40:
Yae juff and Snokkir steem wi' suh a Forse.Abd. 1956 People's Jnl. (28 April):
A couple o' days o' snocherin' an' sneezin'.Abd. 1963 J. C. Milne Poems 73:
Mony a snocherin snoot as weel.m.Sc. 1985 William J. Rae in Joy Hendry Chapman 40 18:
He wis an auld eagle, and he wis pechin and forfochen wi the trauchle o flicht. Luikin doun frae the brainch, he spied Ogilvy snorin and snocherin in his nest. Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 51:
As fou's a puggie maist o the week,
that snochert whiles he could barelies speak
but sat, heid doon a' haverin
aye tae himsel, mumpin, slaverin,
reid i the neb, cramasie i the cheek. em.Sc. 1988 James Robertson in Joy Hendry Chapman 52 71:
'Come the keek o day, an the first bummer gaed aff - loud eneuch, ye'd hae thocht, tae wauken the deid. But it didna steir our man - na, na, he juist snochert an snirtit an keepit on sleepin. ... ' Abd. 1995 Sheena Blackhall Lament for the Raj 26:
Teenie an wee, the bummer, the flee,
The emmack, the gleg, the moch;
The dyeuk, the coo an the snochrin soo,
The troot frae the skinklin loch.

2. To snore, to snooze, to laze about.Abd. 1929 J. Alexander Mains & Hilly 83, 184:
Fat are ye sittin' snocherin' an' sleepin' there for? . . . Aw dinna like to sit an' snocher aboot a' evenin'.

3. tr. To snuff up, e.g. nasal drops (Ags. 1971).Per. 1830 Perthshire Advert. (2 Sept.):
I have used snuffs, and snockered lotions.

II. n. 1. A snort, a snore, the act of breathing noisily through the nose (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 174; ne. and em.Sc.(a) 1971).Sc. 1820 A. Sutherland St Kathleen IV. vi.:
It gied a snocher like a toutin' horn.Slk. 1825 Hogg Queer Book (1832) 191:
He heard a snocker, and then a laugh, And then a smother'd scream.Ags. 1840 G. Webster Ingliston xxxv.:
Wi' that he gae a kind o' snocker, and out he bangs his pocket-napkin.Per. 1881 R. Ford Hum. Sc. Readings 58:
An occasional snocker frae her sleepin' faither.Abd. 1966 Huntly Express (1 April) 2:
He heard “a great snocher an' a nicher.”

2. In pl.: a severe nose-cold, causing stoppage of the nostrils (Sc. 1825 Jam.; ne. and em.Sc. (a) 1971).Abd. 1867 W. Anderson Rhymes 32:
She could start reisted horses without spur or whip, Cure dogs o' the snochers, or hens o' the pip.