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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
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.

FLOCHTER, v., n. Also flouchter, †floughter, fluchter. Cf. Flauchter, v.², n.² [′flɔxtər, ′flʌx-]

‡I. v. To flutter, flit about. Also fig., to get excited, to be unrestrainedly gleeful (Dmf. 1825 Jam.). Hence deriv. from pa.p. floughterty, flighty, changeable in mood.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 79:
In their bowies wi' barehochs, they plunged their turn, And fluchter'd about the bonello.Abd. 1853 W. Cadenhead Flights 215:
[Woman] sae fickle and floughterty, married or free.Ork. 1911 Old-Lore Misc. IV. ii. 186:
Then dere was a' kinds o' burds, . . . at gaed flouchteran about da facies o' tha gues.

II. n. 1. A flutter, lit. and fig.; a state of excitement (Abd.¹³ 1910; Abd.²⁷ 1952).Gall. 1884 D. McWhirter Musings 24:
The nest that she had wrocht her Which cost her mony a weary flouchter.Abd. 1935 J. White Sea Road v.:
He'll be up to some devilment or other, but there's no need to get into a fluchter.

2.  A frightened person or animal (Cai. 1972 D. Omand Cai. Book 247).

Hence: ‡(1) flochtersome, joyous (Dmf. 1825 Jam.); easily elated or flurried (Sc. 1880 Jam.; Per. 1900 E.D.D.); flighty, giddy, feather-brained. †(2) flo(u)chtrous, floughtrous, floughtress (Ags. 1809 A. Balfour Campbell xviii.), hurried and confused, fluttering, palpitating; †(3) flochtry, id. (n.Sc. 1808 Jam.).(1) Ags. 1823 A. Balfour Foundling II. 96: 
Young fowks is sometimes floughtersome.Sc.(E) 1935 W. Soutar Poems in Scots 28:
The diddle O' flochtersome fife, and flute, and fiddle.(2) Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore 55:
But floughtrous dreams stroove what hey mought to spill The saught that sleep was making to her ill.Mry. 1806 R. Jamieson Ballads I. .241:
And fey and weary waxt the maid; Cald sweat hang on her brow; Her flouchtrous heart near brast wi' teen; Her limbs fordweblit grew.