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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

DANDER, DANNER, Daunder, Dauner, v.¹, n.¹ Also daunner, dawner, daander, daaner, donder, donner, donar, dandher. Gen.Sc. [′dɑ(:)nər, ′dɑndər Sc., but m.Sc. + ′dǫ:n(d)ər; Uls. + ′dɑnðər]

1. v. Also common in Eng. (mainly n.) dial. (E.D.D.). Ppl.adj. daun'rin'.

(1) intr. To stroll, to saunter, to walk aimlessly, idly, or uncertainly, to wander (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl., daander; Cld., Dmf. 1825 Jam.², danner; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., donner; Uls. 1880 W. H. Patterson Gl. Ant. and Dwn., dandher; Uls.¹ c.1920, dander).Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems II. 63:
Upon a time a solemn Ass Was dand'ring throw a narrow Pass.Sc. 1947 A. Paton in Scots Mag. (May) 90:
The path starts at the lochside below Lochailort station and dauners quietly along and up and down for several miles.Sc. 1992 Scotsman 22 Jul 3:
Even the soberest of Glasgow's citizens daundering along Clyde Street would have signed the pledge yesterday. Sc. 1999 Sunday Herald 22 Aug 15:
As I donder back towards the clubhouse I pass a skateboard park, and, then, oh joy: a crazy golf course. ne.Sc. a.1835 J. Grant Tales (1836) 67:
As he was daunerin' down the brae till's ain grun', he sees the black man, standin' waitin' him.m.Sc. 1996 John Murray Aspen 4:
Ah see the frostit pow o th'aul din bull,
ootcast bi his kin tae daunner an howk
the tundra his lane ferby
mastodon memries. em.Sc. 2000 James Robertson The Fanatic 69:
' ... Noo they had kept the lass back at the door, sae she couldna be said tae hae laid the effigy there hersel, though it seems tae me she could easy hae been there in secret afore, she's that flittery and daunerin. ... 'Fif. 1985 Christopher Rush A Twelvemonth and a Day 214:
So when the royal command reached him he was daundering up and down on the beach, his hands in his pockets, whistling to himself - just like your grandfather. Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 173:
An' nane can nature's charms enjoy, . . . Wha ay gang donarin' nidy noy To houses flisky.Edb. 1991 Gordon Legge In Between Talking about the Football 149:
'...That's what it's like at my work when they go out for a drink. After a couple of bevs they're dandering their way down the road, man.' wm.Sc. 1985 Liz Lochhead Tartuffe 4:
My son kens Tartuffe is worth his saut!
He'd raither you were in God's Good Grace
Than daunerin' doon your ain paths tae the Other Place. wm.Sc. 1995 Alan Warner Morvern Callar 39:
That was such a heatwave at midnight I could read the penny dreadfuls outside when I woke up, swung out of my bed and dandered onto the sand at the water's edge. Gsw. 1987 Matt McGinn McGinn of the Calton 163:
I donnered doon tae Ru'glen toon and there I met wi' Susan
She kissed me and she left me and 'twas that that set me boozin'. Lnk. 1995 Des Dillon Me & ma Gal 125:
We donnered across the fields where they played rugby an stuff like that, stuff that we never played. Rxb.(D) 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 10:
A dandert aboot amang the auld byres an smiddie-ends.

(2) tr. To stroll on, to wander about on. Rare.Ags. 1853 W. Blair Aberbrothock 65:
When I daunder the fields or lie oot on the green.em.Sc.(a) 1991 Kate Armstrong in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 115:
Fer the lid's liftin, sae she sits doon,
Donnerin the hert o her sma warld's graith
Wi the steerin soun.w.Dmf. 1910 J. L. Waugh Cracks wi' Robbie Doo ii.:
I just daunered the flags in front o' my hoose wi' my slippers on.

(3) Phr.: daun'rin' Kate, stonecrop or the dwarf houseleek, Sedum reflexum (sw.Sc. 1896 Garden Work No. cxiv. (New Series) 112).

2. n. A stroll, a slow walk.Sc. 1998 Big Issue 9-11 Apr 17:
I ask you - take a Sunday dander with the kids and the bloody zoology paparazzi are breathing down your neck in no time. Cai. 1992 James Miller A Fine White Stoor 150:
At last the cart was full, its tyres bulging and sinking a little in the heathery mattress, but before the homeward trip Dougie decided on a dander up the brae. ne.Sc. 1979 Alastair Mackie in Joy Hendry Chapman 23-4 (1985) 65:
The day birls to tea-time
and the dander hame. The sun has foonert
and grey like naethingness airches the lyft. Abd. 1926 P. Giles in Abd. Univ. Review (July) 223:
Ma lad slippit oot the back wy an', makin' a bit o' a daun'er roon aboot, cam in the front wy as gin he hid come fae far.Abd. 1995 Flora Garry Collected Poems 16:
An fyles on a stull Mey nicht
I wid tak a daaner roun
By Spital an College Bounds
To the lythe o the Aal Toon. Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 59:
Luik fit a single thochtie can dae: fitivir ye're at, be it gaun fur a daunder, or workin alane or wi freens, that thochtie cams inno yer min like something ye dinna unnerstaun. em.Sc. 2000 James Robertson The Fanatic 155:
And although she was nervous to be going in the opposite direction from everybody else, and was surprised that he should suggest a Sabbath journey that was not to worship, it was maybe like going a dauner in the company of God, so she consented.Edb. 1894 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick ii.:
Ye maun tak a daunder through the fairm touns.Arg. 1990s:
It [heart condition] must be annoying for anybody that's used tae a danner. Lnk. 1991 Duncan Glen Twa Warlds 36:
Sometimes tak a daunder roond the gaillery
and if it's empty staun by my favourite wark. Ayr. 1821 Galt Ann. Parish ii.:
I was taking my twilight dawner aneath the hedge.

Phr.: on the dander, “idling about; on the spree” (Uls. 1880 W. H. Patterson Gl. Ant. and Dwn.).