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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

HOWDER, v.¹, n. Also howther, howthir, houther, houder; huther, hudder. For other meanings see the variant form Hudder. [′hʌudər, ′hʌuðər]

I. v. 1. To move with a rocking, jolting or bumping motion, esp. of a boat or cart (Arg. 1948, howther; ne.Sc. 1957), of a person or animal with a rolling gait (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 82); to tumble roughly in play. Also fig.Abd. 1804 W. Tarras Poems 46:
A caller burnie was his drink, That howder't down the braes.Abd. 1842 Banffshire Jnl. (16 Oct. 1900) 7:
Ye've gien the Kirk an unco dose And sair ye've gart her howder.Abd. 1918 W. Mutch Hev ye a Spunk 33:
Oor Barney didna like the boat that howdert ower the sea.Abd. 1922 G. P. Dunbar Whiff o' Doric 12:
Set Tam's knees wabblin' like a deuk fin howd'rin' ower the green.Abd. 1958 People's Jnl. (18 Jan.):
Foo gled Ah wis tae be on dry lan', by's howderin' aboot on the watter.em.Sc.(a) 1991 Kate Armstrong in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 114:
Ilka day she howders wi a sey tae the wal
In the yaird ootbye.

†2. To carry or heave along awkwardly or with difficulty, to push roughly.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 82:
The twa ill-contrivet geets howthirt the peer gangeral our the dyke in o' the ditch. . . . She needna be howthirin' and cairryin' that muckle bairn; he's aul' eneuch t' gang himsel'.

3. Of a large number of persons or objects: to swarm, bustle about, mill around, crowd together; to romp about (Ayr. a.1878 H. Ainslie Pilgrimage (1892) 334).Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 187:
Menzies o' Moths an' Flaes are shook, An i' the floor they howder.Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems 125:
Whan, huthran in a thrang, Out frae their hole, at unca rate, They driftet wi' a bang.Ags. 1867 G. W. Donald Poems 147:
Frae creeks an' seas, like swarms o' bees, His hungry hordes may howder.Ayr. a.1878 H. Ainslie Pilgrimage (1892) 250:
It's then I see our greenwood tree, Where wives an' weans are howdering.Sc. 1995 David Purves Hert's Bluid 38:
The'r no mukkil in't for the bairns,
an the sang dwynes doun for the auld:
howdert thegither in hames,
bleirin awa dreich days
goavin at fremmit ferlies
on ane electronic screen.

4. Of the wind: to blow fitfully, in gusts. Also ppl.adj. howderin.Abd. 1925 R. L. Cassie Gangrel Muse 39:
Oh, sic a day o' houderin' win'! It deaves oor lugs wi' rairin' din.Sc. 1935 Sc. N. & Q. (Feb.) 23:
Moans an' howders th' win' 's gin 'is bellows wad brak.em.Sc. 1999 James Robertson The Day O Judgement 7:
Skelpit by cankert howderin storm
Ah! hou the yirth will rive an screed.

II. n. 1. A rocking, jolting, sideways motion, as of a boat on a rough sea or a person with a rolling gait (Bnff., Abd. 1957); rough, uncouth horse-play, a tousling, a rough-and-tumble (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 276; Lth., Lnk. 1825 Jam., howther).Slg. 1804 G. Galloway Luncarty 55:
The breeks he woo'd and wed in Maggy Tudor, When first he blest her with a highland houther.Lnk. 1808 W. Watson Poems 22:
A houther now amang the strae Wad be a better scheme.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 82:
The ween raise, an' they got a howthir or they cam in.Abd.²⁹ 1951:
Ye aften get a gey howder in a trawler in the North Sea.

2. A rough push or heave. Cf. v., 2.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 82:
Gee 'im a howthir on o' the horse back. He wiz sittin' on a dyke fin the little ill-trickit hurb ran in ahin 'im, an' ga' 'im a howthir doon aff o't.

3. A blast of wind, a blustering wind (Abd. 1825 Jam.; ne.Sc. 1957).Bch. 1861 J. Davidson Poems 100:
The win' gat up wi' awfu' blewder — I tint my bonnet in the howder.Ags. 1879 Arbroath Guide (12 April) 3:
That's an awfu' hudder o' a storm.Bch. 1929 Abd. Univ. Rev. (March) 128:
It's jist as weel it's blawn by. It wiz a bit o' a howder fin't laistit.Abd. 1954 Huntly Express (29 Oct.):
A gweed houder o' win' an' mak' them shoud wad dee the rucks a lot o' gweed.