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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Rattil(l, -el(l, Rat(t)le, v. [ME (c1330) and e.m.E. ratle, rattel(l, -il, ratylle (Cath. Angl.), rattle (1560), MDu., LG ratelen. Prob. of echoic origin.]

1. intr. Of solid things: To produce, when agitated or struck frequently, a series of short, sharp noises one after the other, so that the resultant sound is almost continuous.Cf. Rattil-gold n.Also proverb. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 691.
Ryngis of rank steill rattillit and rent c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 180.
Thy rigbane rattillis and thy ribbis on raw a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 315.
Thy elderis banis ilk nycht rysis and rattillis [M. ratlis] 1513 Doug. vii xi 85.
Branchis al to rent Gan rattillyng [Ruddim. ratling] and resound of thar deray Ib. viii viii 167.
Thai lysnyng to persaue and heir the dyn, Ay mar and mar agane it dyd begyn To rerd and rattill [Sm. rattell, Ruddim. rattil] Ib. xi xv 20.
Hys rych mantill, of quham the forbreist lappys, Ratlyng [Sm. ratling; L. sinusque crepantes] of brycht gold wyre … was buklyt with a knot 1533 Boece 335.
In the tempill the armoure ratlit and made noyis 1540 Lynd. Sat. 619 (Bann.).
The raipis began to rattill [Ch. rattil] 15.. Clar. v 2028.
Giltin ruifis rattillitproverb. c1590 Fowler II 33/32.
As voyd and emptie vessels rings maist and rattels loudest a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 787.
Toome bagges rattles a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1396.
Stand chandlers and ye faw ye will rattle [Ferg. Prov. MS No. 1225: clatter]

b. To make an involuntary choking sound in the throat; to choke to (till) death. 1647 Durh. Univ. J. XXXIV 64.
Putting the wirlle wind in her hasse that made her rattell till death

2. a. intr. To talk incessantly and thoughtlessly; to chatter. b. tr. To utter (illogicalities, nonsense, or the like).a. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 7989.
Quhair suld be rest, thay rattill ay in a rane a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 607 (L).
Thay tratlit and ratlit Ane lang half hourb. 1513 Doug. viii Prol. 66.
The ralȝear raknys na wordis, bot ratlis furth ranys 1562-3 Winȝet I 50/24.
Thai … haldis it only law quhateuir thai raill, rattill, or trattill 1679 J. Barclay Descr. Cath. Ch. 46.
I grew impatient … To hear them rattling such nonsensick stuff

3. intr. To rattill and (to) rele, to behave in a reckless or riotous fashion; to live wildly. 1570 Cal. Sc. P. III 304.
[If he were … quit of Englishmen] thir other lordis sould not get liberty to rattil and reil up and down the countrey as they do ?a1640 Copie of a Baron's Court (1821) 19.
Then he began to rattle and to reel, And kick'd against the college with his heel