Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SLUTTER, v., n., adv. Also sluiter, sleuter; sclutter, skleuter (Gregor), sclaiter; ¶sluther. See also Slitter. [′slʌtər; Cai., em.Sc. (a) ′slu-; ′slø-, ′skl(j)-]

I. v. 1. (1) To work in a slovenly dirty way or in some messy stuff, to make a mess at work (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 160; Sc. 1880 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Cai., m. and s.Sc. 1970). Also fig. Ppl.adj., vbl.n. skleuteran, -in, slutterin, working untidily (Id.). Also in n. Eng. and Ir. dial. Rarely tr. as in quot.Ags. 1930 A. Kennedy Orra Boughs ii., xxx.:
What matter that for one orra thought he should skleuter this through his mind. . . . That would only be a skleuterin'-owre o' the warld's midden-heid.

(2) to cook or eat food in a messy manner, to spill, slosh, slobber (Dmf. 1825 Jam.); to sup or swallow noisily (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).

2. To walk in a slouching, slovenly way (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 160; Ork. 1929 Marw.; Ork., Cai., Ags., Per. 1970).Per.⁴ 1950:
He cam sleutherin up the road as if he had a' day tae waste.

3. To make a splashing sound, splatter, to plunge, flounder in mire; “to flow through a narrow opening with a sputtering noise” (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 160; Bnff., Ags. 1970).Ags. 1928 Scots Mag. (May) 144:
He fair sclaitered in't, up to the een.Ags. 1947 J. B. Salmond Toby Jug v.:
Two wild duck who scluttered along the surface of the water.Ayr. 2000:
Slutterin aboot in the water.

4. To snort, snuffle, snore, to make “an interrupted kind of noise through the nostrils, when one is half asleep” (Per. 1825 Jam.).

II. n. 1. A mess, in gen., a mass of any dirty liquid or semi-liquid matter (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 160, skleuter; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; I., e. and wm.Sc. 1970); wet, dirty, slatternly work (Gregor; Cld. 1880 Jam.). Adj. sluttrie, sluttery, slovenly, sluttish (Lth. 1825 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; e. and wm.Sc. 1970); messy, soft and wet, sloppy and sticky (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 160, skleutrie; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; e. and wm.Sc. 1970).Ags. 1860 A. Whamond James Tacket 97:
What a sclutter ye've made in my lap.Sc. 1883 J. Kennedy Poems (1920) 117:
But when they reach'd the auld dry dock Fill'd fu' wi' mony a sclutter.Per.⁴ 1950:
Ye're makin a right slutter o that job.Ayr. 2000:
Ye're awfie sluttery.

2. A state of confusion or muddle, “a hurry-scurry” (Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 265, sclutter; Per., Slg., Dmb. 1970).

3. A splash, a slop (Bwk. 1942 Wettstein); a squirting noise (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 160).Sc. 1826 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) I. 173:
Its contents gaed ower wi' a sclutter upon the lads' breeks.Sc. 1883 J. Kennedy Poems 85:
The whitening whummlet Wi' a sclutter owre his skull.

4. A snoring or snorting sound, a snuffle (Sc. 1825 Jam.).

5. Of persons: a big, clumsy loafer (Fif. 1825 Jam.); sim. of a horse (Cai. 1970); a glutton (Lnk. Ib.); a sloven, esp. of women, a slattern (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 160).

III. adv. With a dirty, plashing step, shuffling as through mire or water, with a sputtering noise (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 160, skleuter).