Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
FALDERAL, n., v. Sc. usages. Also falderall, faldarall; faltheral (Rxb. 1847 J. Halliday Rustic Bard 189); and extended forms fallderalloe (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 202), falderumdal.
I. n. 1. An idle fancy; a vagary; a fuss about trifles; a trifling excuse (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 223).Rxb. 1875 N. Elliott Nellie Macpherson 36:
Your fine young leddies, wi' a their braws, and pianies, and flirds, and falderumdals.Ork. 1908 Old-Lore Misc. I. viii. 320:
Wir M. Pay jeust daves folk teu wi' 'is clatters aboot . . . ither poleetical faldaralls.Abd. 1932 R. L. Cassie Scots Sangs 40:
Oh, fat is a' the falderal Aboot oor Scots o' days sae aul'?
2. “A pedantic giddy person” (Gregor).
II. v. To make trifling excuses; to behave “in a giddy, pedantic manner” (Ib.). Hence falderallin, ppl.adj., “giddy, pedantic” (Ib.).
