Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1790-1815, 1894, 1955
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FIDDER, fither, v., n.1
I. v. To flutter, lit. and fig. (Kcb. 1950); to be in a state of excitement; to hover in a stationary position as a hawk, or a bird over its nest (Dmf. 1825 Jam.).Kcb. 1815 J. Gerrond Poet. Works 109:
Dear brither, I fidder At mention o' your name.Dmf. 1894 Trans. Dmf. and Gall. Antiq. Soc. 159:
There's a badly spelled letter announcing her engagement. She would be fiddering — i.e., she would be in a flutter.
II. n. 1. A shudder “which overtakes one after ensconcing oneself under the blankets, esp. on a frosty night” (Kcb.4 1900).
2. A flutter, an excited state, a scurry.Ayr. 1790 J. Fisher Poems 90:
Wha met her i' the trance that een, As she cam wi a fither. Mry. 1955 Bulletin (1 Nov.):
We are in a bit of a fither with the beasts just now.
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"Fidder v., n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/fidder_v_n1>
