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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

Quotation dates: 1871-1895

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COTTER, v.

1. tr. Of eggs: to stir them in a pan with butter till cooked (Sc. 1825 Jam.2; Ags.1, Fif.1 1937).Fif. 1895 "S. Tytler" Macdonald Lass x.:
Flora boiled and "cottered" the eggs; Mrs Macdonald, Kirkiebost, sliced and toasted the cheese.

‡2. tr. "To entangle. Usually as pa.p. cotter'd" (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).

†3. intr. "To work in a weak, unskilful manner" (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 221); "to potter about, do odd jobs" (Bnff. 1898 E.D.D.).

4. To keep company, fraternise, hobnob. But poss. a variant of Cuiter. Edb. 1871 J. Ballantine Poems 188: 
Oh, auld age and infancy cotter an' gree, When the wee tot sits crawin' on grandfaither's knee.

[E.M.E. cotter, to clot, coagulate, congeal, 1577, frequentative of cot, to tangle, from cot, n., wool matted in the fleece, a tangle; Anglo-Fr. cot, idem. Cf. O.Fr. coterel, tangled wool (Godefroy). Sense 3 may be a distinct word.]

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