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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

BLETHER, BLATHER, BLEDDER, v., n.¹, int. Also bladder.  [′blɛðər Sc., but Abd. + ′blɛdər and ′bledɪr]

I. v., tr. and intr. Gen.Sc.

1. To talk foolishly, or loquaciously; to brag. Gen.Sc. Given in N.E.D. as Sc. or north. dial.Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems 324:
It blather'd Buff before them a', And aftentimes turn'd doited.Bnff. 1856 J. Collie Poems and Lyrics 55:
Gif I ask ane's assistance in speaking, Man, how he'll blether and puff.m.Sc. 1996 Christopher Brookmyre Quite Ugly One Morning (1997) 132:
All day Saturday they had been alternately playing and fighting with Heather and Stephanie, Moray's wee sisters, in the house and round the garden while their mums drank coffee and blethered in the kitchen and their dads hit into a force eight on the links. Fif. a.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 225:
The blear-ein'd bell-man came bladdering about the buttock-mail.wm.Sc. 1987 Anna Blair Scottish Tales (1990) 23:
Well, when he was a lad, he was walking along the shore one day to his small boat drawn up on the sand, when he met two younger boys scrambling along through sea-weed and pebbles, blethering excitedly that they had just that moment seen a merwoman in the water beyond the boat. wm.Sc. 2000 Liz Lochhead Medea 5:
it was where the old men play at draughts and blether
and mibbe blethers is aw it is I hope so.Rnf. [1819] R. Tannahill Poems and Songs (1876) 312:
She blether'd it roun tae her fae and her frein, How brawlie she was kiss't yestreen.Ayr. 1803 Sir A. Boswell Poet. Works (1871) 12:
A lawyer neist, wi' blathrin' gab, Wha speeches wove like ony wab.Uls. 1927 St John G. Ervine Wayward Man iv.:
Ate your tea, man, an' quit bletherin'!

2. “To speak indistinctly, to stammer” (Sc. 1808 Jam.). Chiefly as ppl.adj. vbl.n. bletherin', (1) nonsense, verbosity; (2) stammering.(1) Lnk. 1838 J. Morrison M'Ilwham Papers, Letter i. 13:
But I maun draw this bletherin' till a conclusion.(2) Sc. [1769] D. Herd Sc. Songs (1776) Gloss.:
Stammering is called blethering.

Phr.: to be bletherin' fou, to be so far drunk as to talk loquaciously or foolishly.Abd.(D) 1920 G. P. Dunbar Gaff o' Peat Reek 10; Kcb.⁹ 1935:
Like some chiel bletherin' fou.

II. n. Often in pl. Gen.Sc.

1. Foolish talk, nonsense; profuse and boasting talk.Sc. 1719 W. Hamilton in Ramsay Poems (1721) 197:
For an' they winna had their Blether, They's get a Flewet.Ork.(D) 1880 Dennison Orcad. Sk. Bk. 123:
I want neen o' thee idle blether.Abd.(D) 1924 Leebies Wooin in Swatches o' Hamespun 72:
Curse the aul hag wi' her bledder!m.Sc. 1986 Colin Mackay The Song of the Forest 88:
"Blethers," said Finella. "Everybody kens that it is because yon cross of your's [sic] is made of oak, and that the oak is the tree of the Hammer-man that makes the thunder in the mountains and sends it down on the folk when they scunner him." Fif. 1929 St Andrews Citizen (9 Feb.) 9/3:
It nearly gars me spue sometimes tae read sic' blethers.Lth. 1813 G. Bruce Poems 78:
Aroun' ilk standart soon wad gather, Our lads sae crouse, An' lay ilk noisy braggart's blather, As quiet's a mouse.Edb. 1998 Gordon Legge Near Neighbours (1999) 9:
'Back to listen to you and your blethers, aye.' wm.Sc. 2000 Liz Lochhead Medea 5:
it was where the old men play at draughts and blether
and mibbe blethers is aw it is I hope so.Rxb. 1921 Hawick Express (13 May) 3/7:
Hei never tried tae hide his views in a blether o' words.

2. Chat, gossip.em.Sc. 1997 Ian Rankin Black & Blue (1999) 44:
'Really? Well, much as I enjoy a blether on the doorstep last thing at night ... ' Edb. 1998 Gordon Legge Near Neighbours (1999) 121:
After the class, Maureen had her quickest ever shower, then joined the others in the community centre's canteen for some juice and a blether. Rnf. 1993 History on your Doorstep, The Reminiscences of the Ferguslie Elderly Forum 31:
The shop assistants then were friendly and you got a wee blether.Gsw. 2001 Big Issue 22-8 Feb 25:
Tonight is a ladies' night. "We get together and have a blether and a drink and make a fool of ourselves," she says. Lnk. 1881 A. Wardrop Poems, Songs, etc. 114:
'Tis strange that strangers oft forgather, And meet tae ha'e an antrin blether.

3. One who talks foolishly or profusely; a chatterbox. Gen.Sc.wm.Sc. 1985 Liz Lochhead Tartuffe 4:
You think wan thing, Ah think anither.
You cry him a saint, Ah cry him a blether.Dmf. 1817 W. Caesar Poems 49:
Ne'er fash your heads 'bout Donald's rant, He's but a blether.Dwn. 1912 F. E. S. Crichton Precepts of Andy Saul (1913) 17:
“Away out o' that, ye impident wee blether!” says I.

III. In pl., int. Nonsense! rubbish! Gen.Sc.wm.Sc. [1835] Laird of Logan (1868) 558:
Hout! tout! tout! tout! havers, blethers, how could a bauchle speak to a hat?Dwn.(D) 1886 W. G. Lyttle Sons of the Sod ii.:
“A doot it's ower late,” murmured the girl. “Blethers, woman! it's no yin o'clock yet,” said Johnnie.

Combs.: (1) blether-banes, “a jabberer” (nw., centr. Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.); (2) blether-bus, “a chatterbox” (Crm. 1914 T.S.D.C. I.). For bus, see Buss, n.⁶; (3) blether-lippit, “chattering” (Ib.).