Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
MIXTIE-MAXTIE, adj., n. Also -y, -moxty (Abd. 1932 D. Campbell Bamboozled 67); -max(ie) (Sc. 1903 E.D.D.), mixi(e)-maxi(e), -y; and mixter-maxter, meexter-maxter, muxter- (Abd. 1900 Weekly Free Press (20 Oct.)).
I. adj. Mixed, heterogeneous, motley; higgledy-piggledy, jumbled; in a state of confusion or muddle (Sc. 1818 Sawers; mixter-maxter Sh., Bnff., Abd., Ags., Edb., Gsw., Ayr., Dmf., Rxb. 2000s). Gen.Sc. Also adv.Ayr. 1786 Burns Author's Cry xxi.:
Yon mixtie-maxtie queer hotch-potch.Abd. 1813 D. Anderson Poems 115:
And mixie maxtie nations meet Frae yont the sea.Fif. 1824 J. Bissett Poems 141:
O what a mixi maxi crew Are mankind when we look them thro'.Edb. 1827 The Cheilead 34:
Here may be seen the belle and beau . . . the smart sovereign-hatted lawyer, the dandy medical, the divinity, and the idle student, higgledy-piggledy, mixty-maxty.Slk. 1844 W. Crozier Cottage Muse (1847) 48:
My flocks hae wander't out o' sight, They'll be a' mixie-maxie.Kcb. 1895 Crocket Bog-Myrtle 204:
Auld times are apt to get a kennin' mixter-maxter in yin's heid.Per. 1899 C. M. Stuart Sabbath Nights 30:
Method! he hasna nae manner o' method; it's a' mixty-maxty, and canna be profitable.Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 1:
The road was thrang wui droves o nowt — aa keinds, untellin — kye an tuips an keilies an yowes, mixty-maxty.Bch. 1949 W. R. Melvin Poems 25:
The watcher on the Buchan shore Has seen this mixter-maxter core . . . Raisin' a rampart 'gainst the Hun.Gsw. 1961 People's Jnl. (27 May) 20:
I emptied out a' the mixty-maxty contents of my sewing box and put everything back just so.Abd. 2000 Sheena Blackhall The Singing Bird 19:
The cheengefu lift bleeds blae,
Colours mell and mirl,
A mixter-maxter cumulus o pearl,
A weety, sulky haar.
II. n. 1. A heterogeneous collection of objects, a jumble, a mixture, a confusion (Sc. 1818 Sawers; Per., Ayr. 1915–23 Wilson; mixter-maxter Sh., Ags., Fif., Ayr., Dmf., Rxb. 2000s). Gen.Sc.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 189:
Wi' supper in his kyte weel fed, Composed o' unco mixie maxies.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 115:
A' thing aboot the place is in an unco mixtie-maxtie.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb ix.:
A mixter-maxter o' figures wi' the letters o' the A B C.Ags. 1886 A. D. Willock Rosetty Ends 42:
We had a fell mixter-maxter amon' oor visitors.m.Lth. 1894 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick ii.:
He had nae heids to his discoorse; it was juist a mixtie-maxtie.s.Sc. 1948 A. Hepple House of Gow iii.:
The next [thing that struck her] was the “mixter-maxter”, as she called it to herself, of furniture; set primly against the wall were beautiful antiques but without any relationship to each other.Sc. 1988 Scotsman (22 Oct) 8:
As Mr Moodie points out, the Orcadians (like all peoples) are a fine mixter-maxter, but they are certainly no longer "largely Norse."Gsw. 1990 John and Willy Maley From the Calton to Catalonia 37:
A right mixter maxter. Maistly French, as ye'd expect, bit a fair smatterin fae other countries. Ah cawd it the bunnet brigade. Fur some strange reason everybody seemed tae think a bunnet, a beret, ur a balaclava oaffered some protection against bullets an bombs.Abd. 1991 George Bruce in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 23:
they wha catapulted him
intae this life or daith or mixter-maxter o the baith.
2. A dish, confection or biscuit made of mixed ingredients (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., mixty-max).Ags. 1893 Brechin Advertiser (16 May) 3:
It was neither meal nor brose, But juist an ill-made-ready dose O' mixie-maxie.
