Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
WHITTIE-WHATTIE, n., v., adj. Also whitty-whatty, whity-whaty, whitie-whatie; wheetie-, wheety-whattie; shortened form wheety-what.
I. n. ‡1. “Vague, shuffling, or cajoling language” (Sc. 1825 Jam., whittie-whattie); “silly pretences, from a design to procrastinate or to blind; frivolous, excuses, circumlocutions, meant to conceal the truth” (Sc. 1808 .Jam., whitie-whaties), shilly-shallying (Sh. 1974).Sc. 1749 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) III. 268:
Brethren who reprov'd grow stiffer And in some whitty-whattys differ.Sc. 1756 M. Calderwood Journey (M.C.) 148:
They have no notion of what we call whity whaty, nor can they comprehend one's being undetermined.Peb. 1793 R. D. C. Brown Comic Poems (1817) 125:
Meikle kyte, braws, and consequence, And haveran' wheety-whats.
2. A devious intriguing person; “one who employs every kind of means to gain an end” (Fif. 1829 Jam., whittie-whattie); also “one who attempts, more than he is able or willing to perform” (Kcb.2 c.1920, wheety-whattie).
II. v. “To talk frivolously, to shilly-shally” (Sc. 1825 Jam., whittie-whattie); “to form frivolous pretences or excuses” (Id.; Sh. 1974).Sc. 1821 Scott Pirate vi.:
“What are ye whittie-whattieing about, ye gowk?” said his gentle sister, who suspected the tenor of his murmours.Sc. 1839 Chambers's Jnl. (10 Aug.) 232:
A great whitty-whattying and argle bargaining about a thing.
III. adj. Indecisive, shilly-shallying, vague, nebulous in one's talk (Sh. 1974).Per. 1903 H. Dryerre Blairgowrie 86:
I dinna think ye'd care muckle for that d — d Hieland didderie-fa, wheetie-whattie style o' his.
