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 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

FLITTIN(G), n. Also fliting; flitteen (s.Sc.), and deriv. form flutning (Ork. (Orphir) 1910 Old-Lore Misc. III. i. 6).

1. Removal, the act of moving from one residence to another. Gen.Sc. Also in n.Eng. dial.Lnk. 1707 J.P.s Lnk. (S.H.S.) 5:
Servants unacquainting their masters of their departures from ther service untill the term of flitting be come.Sc. a.1737 Major Fraser's MS. (ed. Fergusson 1889) II. 115:
As it is ordinary, the 15 day of May, over all that countrys, to send a load by way of a symboll of flitting.Ayr. 1823 Galt R. Gilhaize III. viii.:
Other furniture, wherewith they had burdened themselves like bearers at a flitting.Sc. 1828 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) II. 49:
Houses change families, not only at Michaelmas, but often, . . . there is a general flitting.Bnff. 1880 J. F. S. Gordon Chron. Keith 63:
The “Chacky Mill” or Death-Watch (occasioned by the very rapid motions of the head of an Insect in old wood boring its way) was conjectured to be a forego of a Death or a Flitting.Uls. 1904 Weekly Irish Times (17 Sept.):
A man does not leave or quit his house, but, in villages especially, there are a good many “flittings.”Gsw. 1921 Neil Munro Erchie & Jimmy Swan (1993) 284:
Duffy's flitting was getting on all right on Friday till Archibald, the tailor, came, quite uninvited, to his assistance. Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 10:
At the fit o the brae a flitteen was gaun on.Kcd. 1933 Lewis Grassic Gibbon Cloud Howe (1995) 27:
They'd hired him to do the Manse flitting. Sc. 1939 Times (23 Nov.) 6:
November 28 is the Scottish removal term, when domestic and farm servants change their employments, leases come to an end, and flittings are made.Gsw. 1985 Anna Blair Tea at Miss Cranston's 9:
My mother didnae let any of us see the new Corporation house at the Wellmeadow until the day of the flitting. Gsw. 1990 John and Willy Maley From the Calton to Catalonia 5:
Talkin aboot movin, whit wis aw that stramash yesterday, eh? Somedy says they wur shiftin us aw again. Ah hate a flittin. Ye aye leave somethin behind. Edb. 1998 Gordon Legge Near Neighbours (1999) 55:
It was never a bother to run you a message or look after your weans, never any trouble to help you out with a flitting or lend you a hand with your decorating.

Phr.: Saturday's flittin's a short sittin, If you move house on a Saturday you won't remain long in that house (Sh., Cai., Bnff., Edb., Gsw., Ayr. 2000s).Edb. 1989:
Saturday's flittin is a short sittin.

2. What is flitted, household goods when loaded for removal. Gen.Sc. Also fig., esp. in descriptions of untidiness, large quantities carried, etc.Sc. 1823 J. Wilson Marg. Lyndsay ix.:
Two or three of their new neighbours . . . came out from their houses at the stopping of the cart-wheels, and one of them said, “Aye, aye, here's the flitting.”Lnk. 1885 F. Gordon Pyotshaw xxxiii.:
There'll no be a collier in a' the land but'll be able to carry his flittin' on the croon o' his head.Arg. 1914 N. Munro New Road xxx.:
The boxes were the lumber of a flitting, and held musty papers.Kcd. 1933 Scots Mag. (Feb.) 330:
He moved to Pittaulds in the autumn term, folk watched his flitting come down by Mondynes.Fif. 1939 St Andrews Citizen (2 Dec.):
Tuesday was term day . . . During the forenoon and afternoon several “flittin's” passed through the city.Sc. 1994 Herald 22 Dec 13:
This tax concession specifically benefited CATS and Teesside - a directed piece of help roughly equivalent to the Chancellor announcing a tax allowance only for those whose surname is Clarke, first name Kenneth, and who wore hush puppies as if he had fallen off a flitting. Sc. 1996 Herald 25 Nov 19:
There was nothing for it but to get out the suitcase. I put the trousers of the good suit on above the slacks, then the kilt and Prince Charlie jacket and topped it off with the suit jacket. A pair of Y-fronts was all I could find to keep the wind away from my lugs. I may have looked like a flitting but, by the time I won home, I was glad of every stitch. Edb. 1997:
You look like you just fell off a flitting. Lnk. 1997 Duncan Glen From Upland Man 3:
And heicher up the fauldin land
mair trees agin the luift. And the view
to the front naethin but rollin pasture
dottit wi kye.
And the sun shinin doon that Setterday
on the flittin. Sc. 2001 Evening Times 17 Mar 25:
Last weekend, though, the omens seemed good. It was the first time I had the family up to the local park, Maryhill Park, for some fun.
I know I was taking a chance but I did take food, drinks, bikes, extra clothes, nappy bag - a flitting, more or less! Sc. 2001 Herald 26 Sep 31:
In the opening event, the man sends out Caxton Star, and despite having to charge around the trim little course's twists and turns with what is tantamount to a flitting on his back, should have sufficient puff left to see off what is in opposition. Sc. 2003 Sun 4 Dec :
As far as she's concerned, he 'fell off a flitting,' and my sister's lucky to have him.

3. Combs.: (1) flittin bird, a mysterious sound in a house said to presage a flitting (Ork.⁵ 1952). Cf. (4) and Flitterchack: (2) flitting crop, the crop sown by a tenant of a farm, in the spring of the year of his removal. See Waygoing; (3) flittin day, the day on which removals take place. Gen.Sc. Also fig. of death; (4) flitting shaek, see quot. and cf. 1880 quot. in 1. above; (5) flittin time, the period during which removals take place. Gen.Sc.; (6) munelicht flittin, meenlicht(ie) —, a furtive removal, as under cover of night, to avoid paying debts or to escape some unpleasant consequences. Gen.Sc.(2) Sc. 1801 Scots Mag. (Sept.) 658:
Whether the tenant had a right to a flitting or way-going crop.(3) Edb. 1844 J. Ballantine Miller iii.:
The key of a house from which a tenant is removing, cannot, according to law, be demanded till twelve o'clock on the noon of the 25th [now the 28th] of May, or flitting day; and no removing tenant can retain such key, a moment after that hour, without exposing himself to troublesome consequences.Per. c.1850 Harp (ed. Ford) 197:
The flittin' day we'll min', John, Lest sorrow come at last.Gsw. 1892 Gsw. Mail (24 June) 7:
It was the Whitsunday term or “flittin' day” without a doubt.(4) Sh. 1899 J. Spence Folk-Lore 163:
A vibrating sound [of the wood beetle was called] a “flitting shaek.”(5) Sc. 1793 Morison Decisions 2004:
That they may carry furniture in flitting time, from the 15th to the 30th of May.(6) Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 145:
He has taken a Moon light flitting.Sc. 1824 Scott Redgauntlet vii.:
If sae mickle as a collier or a salter make a moonlight flitting.Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch (1898) xvii.:
The whole covey of them, no better than a set of swindlers, took leg-bail and made that very night a moonlight flitting.wm.Sc. 1854 Laird of Logan 172:
I micht hae ta'en a moon-licht flitting, bag and baggage — packed up my awls, and gien ye the win' o' my heels for payment.Abd. 1888 Bon-Accord (3 Nov.) 8:
The only thing of much interest to a landlord of the present day is to hear of a proposed “moonlichty flittin'” from the tenements which he calls his own.Fif. 1894 J. W. M'Laren Tibbie and Tam 97:
What wad his honoured ancestors hae thocht gin thae had risen frae their lang rest and beheld their lineal descendant concoctin' a munelicht flittin'?