Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1871-1895
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COTTER, v.
1. tr. Of eggs: to stir them in a pan with butter till cooked (Sc. 1825 Jam.2; Ags.1, Fif.1 1937).Fif. 1895 "S. Tytler" Macdonald Lass x.:
Flora boiled and "cottered" the eggs; Mrs Macdonald, Kirkiebost, sliced and toasted the cheese.
‡2. tr. "To entangle. Usually as pa.p. cotter'd" (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).
†3. intr. "To work in a weak, unskilful manner" (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 221); "to potter about, do odd jobs" (Bnff. 1898 E.D.D.).
4. To keep company, fraternise, hobnob. But poss. a variant of Cuiter. Edb. 1871 J. Ballantine Poems 188:
Oh, auld age and infancy cotter an' gree, When the wee tot sits crawin' on grandfaither's knee.
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"Cotter v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/cotter>
