Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
COMPLUTHER, Comploother, Complowther, Complouter, Comploiter, Comploutre, v. and n. [kɔm′plʌθər, -′pluθər, -′plʌuθər, -′plʌutər, -′plɔɪtər]
‡1. v.
(1) To agree; coincide; fit in (Mearns 1825 Jam.2, complouter; Rxb. Ib., compluther; 1923 Watson W.-B., comploother, obsol.). Jam.2 gives also the form cumplouter, and Edb.2 (1930) gives campluther for Slk.Ags. 1885 Brechin Advertiser (17 March) 3/5:
Jock wid a fain haen 'er for a sweetheart, but she widna comploiter.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto Tammas Bodkin xiii.:
Her request . . . seemed sae reasonable in itsel', an' compluthered sae entirely wi' oor ain inclinations that we agreed.Lnk. 1858 G. Roy Generalship (1862) iii. 28:
Innocence is so essentially pure, an' deception so essentially impure, that they dunna very weel what the Norlan' folk ca' comploutre.Slk. 1829 Hogg Shepherd's Calendar II. 21:
Though I had a good deal o' good words by heart, I didna ken how I might gar them compluther.
(2) “To mix” (Mearns, Rxb. 1916 (per Mearns 3), comploitter); to associate (with).Ags. 1897 I. Robertson in A. Reid Bards of Ags. and the Mearns 386:
But he was the licht o' his auld mither's e'e, An' she wadna lat him complouter wi' me.
2. n.
(1) A mixture; “a mess or mix-up” (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., comploiter).Dmb. 1844 W. Cross Disruption (1846) xxvi.:
The complowther o' care and trouble, and mony a thing forby that this worl' is made up o'.
(2) “A confusing of one's words in speaking” (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).
†(3) “A mistake” (Slg. 1825 Jam.2, compluther).
(4) “A conversation” (Ags. 1910 Arbroath Guide (24 Sept.)).
[Origin uncertain, but cf. arch. Eng. complot, Fr. comptot(er), O.Fr. complote, crowd; mêlée (Godefroy).]
