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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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LIMMER, n.¹ Also limmar, lymmer. [′lɪmər]

1. A rascal, scoundrel, rogue, often implying a thief (Abd. 1808 Jam.). Used in a milder or playful sense of a mischievous boy (Fif.¹ 1880; I.Sc., Abd., Lth., Ayr., Dmf., Slk., Uls. 1961). Also attrib. in comb. limmer-loon, id.Abd. 1748 R. Forbes Ajax 4:
An' syne I gar'd The limmers tak the speed.Sc. c.1800 Bewick and Graham in Child Ballads No. 211 xv.:
What's that thou sayst, thou limmer loon? Or how dare thou stand to speak to me?Sc. 1817 Scott Rob Roy xxiii.:
It wad be sair news to the auld wife below the Ben of Stuckavrallachan, that you, ye Hieland limmer, had knockit out my harns.Sc. 1827 W. Motherwell Minstrelsy xxxviii.:
A vagabond, thief, counterfeit, limmer and bard were synonymous.Dmf. 1836 A. Cunningham Lord Roldan III. ix.:
Is that cruel limmer come back to the land? … I wonder he isnae afraid.Abd. 1872 J. G. Michie Deeside Tales 13:
The broken men themselves were not so bad as these "Highland limmers."Arg. 1901 N. Munro Doom Castle xxv.:
He … condemned them all eternally for limmers and sorners, lusty rogues and vagabonds.

2. A woman of loose or disreputable character, a mistress, a prostitute (Sc. 1770 Hailes Ancient Sc. Poems 233; Ayr. 1811 W. Aiton Agric. Ayr. 692). Gen.Sc. Comb. limmer-lad, a man who frequents such company.Wgt. 1724 Session Bk. Wigtown (1934) 327:
The said James prayed the said Helen to pull that limmer, viz. Agnes Stewart, out of the bed from Kinslay.Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) II. 63:
I wore nae frizl'd Limmer's Hair.Sc. 1739 C. D. Bentinck Dornoch (1926) 449:
A man in Drumdivan defamed a woman by calling her "the Devil's limmar".Ayr. 1786 Burns Twa Dogs 181–2:
Except for breakin o' their timmer, Or speakin lightly o' their Limmer.m.Lth. 1801 J. Thomson Poems 163:
A satisfaction to your mind, Mair, I'm sure, than can be had In being a filthy limmer-lad.Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian xvii.:
What signifies what we were, ye street raking limmer?Abd. 1826 D. Anderson Poems 104:
But fornication's sin, waes me! Is now become so common, Limmers will look as high wha hae Twa three's a decent 'oman.Sc. 1852 Tait's Mag. (Nov.) 673:
Ye tak up wi' a' kind o' clamjamphrey, street limmers, and thieves, and note-forgers, and murderers, and the like.Kcb. 1901 R. Trotter Gall. Gossip 143:
What impudence! evenin the man o' Gude tae the Scarlet Limmer.Abd. 1928 Word-Lore III. 147:
Bein' as she aye wid threep, a virgin hersel', she cam' ter'le doon on limmers haein' bastard geets.Sc. 1994 Pete Fortune in James Robertson A Tongue in Yer Heid 157:
"Gin the eidiot's gaun ti thraw his weicht aboot to impress his bit limmer he's hae to suffer the coansequences."
Weill, did the auld sergeant surprise us aa!
"Limmer?" says he. "I think ye should ca cannie wi yer sleepery tongue, Mr Stewart. Thon fine wumman is Alex's mither." em.Sc. 2000 James Robertson The Fanatic 246:
Till she got to the scaffold where the executioner waited, and she went up onto it with the minister behind her. And there she showed herself in her true light, the limmer. For she railed at the folk for greeting and wailing at her, ...

3. A malevolent or mischievous woman, without the implications of 2. (Sc. 1825 Jam.). Gen.Sc.Ags. 1752 D. H. Edwards Men & Manners (1920) 163:
She called her a Damnd Limmer, and bit two pieces of Flesh out of her Arm.Cai. 1776 Weekly Mag. (25 Jan.) 146:
Forboden limmer! ought she so to pass?Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 35:
Sheu was as rugface a slut an as hardened a limmer as iver pat a pettico't ower her heid.Lnk. 1881 A. Wardrop Poems 39:
My faith, if John Knox had been leevin' there wad ha'e been a hantle less o' your kind aboot Glasca, ye auld limmer that ye are.Cai. 1902 J. Horne Canny Countryside 87:
She's a brazen limmer.Sc. 1931 J. Lorimer Red Sergeant x.:
I aye hated the limmer as a cruel randy.wm.Sc. 1986 Robert McLellan in Joy Hendry Chapman 43-4 23:
Dae what Mary tells ye, ye limmer, and stop yer speirin. The riddle's at the byre door. Per. 1990 Betsy Whyte Red Rowans and Wild Honey (1991) 97:
'You will have to keep that lassie away from the camp. Otherwise we will all have to leave.'
'What has the limmer been up to?' the farmer's wife asked.

4. In a weaker sense: a wild, undisciplined girl, a bold, impudent female, a jade, hussy (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Inv. 1902 E.D.D.). Gen.Sc., gen. used ironically or jocularly of one whose conduct is exasperating. Hence ¶limmership, as an ironical form of address.Edb. 1772 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 52:
In whase loud praise the Muse has dung A' kind o' print; But wow! the limmer's fairly flung.Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian x.:
Dance! dance, said ye? I daur ye, limmers that ye are, to name sic a word at ony door-cheek.Ayr. 1821 Galt Annals xv.:
She was a contumacious limmer, and would not listen to reason.Bch. 1832 W. Scott Poems 75:
Just touch me now, ye randies, gin ye dare, I'll show your limmerships the art o' war.Sc. 1851 G. Outram Lyrics (1874) 31:
The timmer limmer daurs the knife To settle her annuity.Ags. 1891 Barrie Little Minister x.:
You're a thrawn limmer, that's what you are.Abd. 1895 G. Williams Scarbraes 15:
She'll come to nae guid, yon limmer, makin' fun o' a decent bodie like me.Edb. 1916 T. W. Paterson Wyse-Sayin's vii. 11:
She's a licht-heidit, glaikit limmer.Abd. 1920 C. Murray Country Places 34:
Aye as I'm mairchin' by, some limmer is sure to cry, "Wi' shanks like that ye'd better hae stuck to breeks."Sh. 1922 J. Inkster Mansie's Röd 19:
Doo impitant limmer 'at doo ir. Is yon a wye ta spaek ta dy auld faider?Dmb. 1931 A. J. Cronin Hatter's Castle ii. ii.:
Did I tell ye to sit down, ye limmer! Stand up.Ork. 1956 C. M. Costie Benjie's Bodle 119:
The hirdie boy's mither … wis a gey mischief-maakin' aald limmer.

5. Applied with like force to female animals or to things personified.Ags. 1790 D. Morison Poems 112:
Our gray hawkit mare, Wha last year i' the go o' simmer, Broke my fore leg, hard hearted limmer.Dmf. 1810 R. Cromek Remains 91:
But I slokened the limmers ane by ane.Slk. 1905 J. B. Selkirk Poems 29:
Till oot again the loupin' limmer Comes dancin' doon through shine and shimmer.Ags. 1921 V. Jacob Bonnie Joann 38:
There's a specklie hen that strays i' the den … An' they'd a' complain gin the limmer was ta'en.

6. As a slightly sarcastic or contemptuous term for any female. Gen.Sc.Edb. 1720 A. Pennecuik Helicon 78:
Lend me your Lug, Giles, and I'll round it in, Now for your Life, Limmer, offfer to tell't again.Abd. 1754 R. Forbes Jnl. from London 24:
The wile limmer was sae dozen'd an' funi'd wi' cauld.Sc. 1815 Scott Guy M. xi.:
I didna hear the wheels. — Grizzel, ye limmer, gang to the door.Slk. 1817 Hogg Tales (1874) 149:
Get aff wi' ye, sir! An' you too, Trimmy. ye limmer! what's your business here?Sc. 1887 Stevenson Underwoods 84:
To hearten up a dowie chield Fancy's the limmer.Abd. 1956 J. Murray Rural Rhymes 19:
Noo Laverockbrae had dochters five, A' weel faured soople limmers.