Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 2005 (SND, online supplement).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

PATTER, n. Talk, esp. fluent, fast, meant to impress.Gsw. 1985 Michael Munro The Patter 53:
patter A person's line in conversation. This can mean ordinary chatting, as in 'Sit doon an gie's aw yer patter'; it can also mean talk intended to amuse or impress, as in 'He's got some patter that pal a yours', or any kind of insider's language, as in 'Ye'll get naewhere if ye don't know the patter.'wm.Sc. 1991 Liz Lochhead Bagpipe Muzak 24:
And the Patter's street-smart, strictly state-of-the-art,
And our oaths are user-friendly.