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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

GOLLER, v., n. Also gollar, -or, guller, -ar, ¶galler (Abd. 1900 J. Milne Poems 19); golder, gulder, -ar; geoldar (Ork.), guldher (Uls.); galor (Edb. 1826 M. & M. Corbett Odd Volume (Ser. 2) 222). [Sc. ′gɔl(d)ər, ′gʌl(d)ər, I.Sc. ′g(j)ɔlder]

I. v. 1. To roar, shout, howl, bawl (Sh.¹⁰ rare, Abd. Ayr., Gall., Dmf., Rxb., Uls. (gulder) 1954); to speak thickly and vehemently or threateningly (Gall. 1825 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 245), to scold; to laugh noisily (Ork. 1929 Marw., Ork.⁵ 1954). Of a dog: to growl, bark violently (Gall., Dmf., Rxb. 1825 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). Also fig. Formerly Gen.Sc. Also in n.Eng. dial. Vbl.n. gulderin', a noisy scolding.Sc. 1732 P. Walker in Six Saints (Fleming 1901) II. 25:
Their voices were changed in their gronings and gollerings with pain of hunger.Abd. 1813 D. Anderson Poems 79:
Then wi' the lockin' tree did curse, And gullart roun' the town In rage that night.Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 218:
As the re-loadit sister-pair Aye guller't out wi' awfu' rair Their charges ilka time.Sc. 1831 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) III. 110:
[Lawyers] gullerin at the bar, and flytin on ane anither like sae mony randies.Bwk. 1876 W. Brockie Confessional 184:
She'll gie me nae supper, but gollar an' flyte; Of a' her mischanters she'll gie me the wyte.Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr Duguid 250:
I . . . cam hame in the gloamin', expectin' a guid gulderin' . . . for bydin' sae late.Kcb. 1895 Crockett Moss-Hags ix.:
Westerha' rode forward . . . “gollering” and roaring at the bit things to frighten them.Sh. 1898 Shetland News (31 Dec.):
Lie doon, doo gulderin füle.Ayr. 1901 “G. Douglas” Green Shutters xxiv.:
“He's simply in debt in every corner,” goldered the keener spirits.Uls. 1920 P. Gregory Songs & Ballads 9:
My father guldhers, night an' morn: “There's corn tae cut. There's dykes tae build.”Gsw. 1943 C. M. Maclean Three for Cordelia 142:
Wha' 're ye' gollarin' at, Tykie?Bnff. 1954 Banffshire Jnl. (24 Aug.):
I'll learn ye better mainners than tae stan' an' guller an' roar there.Ayr. 1998:
Gulder at someone - to bawl menacingly at someone. If Charlie wiz there he'd be gettin a gulderin oot frae wee Rab.

Hence †guldersome, “boisterous, passionate” (Dmf. 1880 Jam.); rampageous.Dmf. 1838 R. Chambers Life Burns (1852) III. 141:
If anything put him out of humour, he was gey guldersome for a wee while.

†2. “Of wind: to make a noise; to blow hard” (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928), golder).

Hence guldersome, adj., howling, roaring.Gsw. 1879 A. G. Murdoch Rhymes 81:
I thocht that a blast o' the guldersome win' The gavel or back o' the hoose had blawn in.

3. (1) intr. To make a gurgling sound (Rxb. 1825 Jam., 1923 Watson W.-B.; Sh. (gulder), Rxb. 1954), “to make a noise, like water forcibly issuing at intervals through a narrow opening, or as when one gargles the throat” (Sc. 1808 Jam., guller); to gobble, of a turkey (Wgt. 1954). Vbl.n. guldering, “the noise made by a turkey cock” (Ant. 1892 Ballymena Obs. (E.D.D.)).Slk. 1801 Hogg Sc. Pastorals 21:
At first he spurr'd, an' fell a bocking, Then gollar'd, pisht, and just was choaking.Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 161:
Aboon the brig the fludes stand heapit; . . . Though down they guller fast.Sc. 1828 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) II. 94:
His chest heavin, as if the waters o' the deep sea were gullering in his throat.Lnk. a.1832 W. Watt Poems (1860) 239:
Till, wi' a hurl, on Annie's lap, He's gullerin' and spewin'.Dmf. 1836 A. Cunningham Lord Roldan II. ii.:
Then it [flood] gullered belly-flaught out.Ags. 1856 W. Grant Poet. Pieces 85:
Then o'er his head the torrents thud, . . . Blash'd 'tween the crags wi' horrid scud They backlins guller.Lth. 1885 “J. Strathesk” Blinkbonny xv.:
Its wee stream gullers round the Carlin Stane.Ayr. 1913 J. Service Memorables xxiii.:
The only answer, gullering frae the dam, was the Water Kelpie's roar.Abd.⁸ 1917:
Water gullers out of a jar when the mouth is turned straight down. †(2) tr. To eject with a gurgling sound.Sc. 1821 Blackwood's Mag. (Aug.) 41:
As sure as I'm on this spot, the puir beast has eaten the flee-hook, and she's golloring up blude.

II. n. 1. A shout, a roar, a suppressed yell (Bwk. 1942 Wettstein, guller; Kcb., Rxb., Uls. 1954); “a sudden, intemperate, angry expression of resentment, rebuke, or admonition” (s.Sc. 1825 Jam., gulder); a growl, a howl, of a dog (Dmf. 1825 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). Also in n.Eng. dial.Rxb. 1808 A. Scott Poems 167:
A grousome tyke, wi' triple head, Sic a tremendous gollar gied.Sc. 1819 J. Rennie St Patrick III. viii.:
It's eneugh tae gar a sow scunner tae hear your golders.Sc. 1826 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) I. 207:
Something atween a grunt, a growl, and a guller, like the skraich o' a man lyin on his back, and dreamin that he's gaun to be hanged.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xviii.:
Wobster gies a guller oot o' 'im, and some ane cries, “Ye're killin' a man!”Uls. 1879 W. G. Lyttle Readings by Robin 11:
I got haud o' his ear. He gied a jump, an' a gulder at me as if I had struck him.Gall. 1901 Trotter Gall. Gossip 230:
The minute it saw whut wus kittlin't, it loot an awfu gulder, an made a dab at him.Abd. 1903 W. Watson Auld Lang Syne 12:
The coo “gie'd a guller o' a roar and nearly loupit ower Baubie's heid.”Kcb. 1909 Crockett Rose of the Wilderness xxii.:
An organ-grinder rang the area bell, but retreated at the sound of Tamson's deep-throated “golder” of rage.

2. Cf. Galder.

(1) “Noisy, unintelligible talk” (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928), Sh. 1954); a verbal outburst (Abd. 1916; Ork., Wgt. 1954); a scolding (Ayr.⁹ 1954).Ags. 1896 Barrie Sentimental Tommy xi.:
A perfect guller of clarty language came pouring out of her.Ork. 1929 Marw.:
He cam oot wi' a golder o' oaths.Dmf. 1954:
I heard a man with muddy boots say “I'd better no come in or ye'll gie me a goller.”

(2) A loud, noisy laugh (Ork. 1929 Marw.; Ork., Wgt., Uls. 1954).Ork. 1909 Old-Lore Misc. II. i. 30:
Shu . . . geid a gret geoldar o' a liach.

(3) A strong sudden outburst of wind, a noisy blast or gale of wind (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928); Sh., Ork. 1954).Ork. 1929 Marw.:
We'll hae a golder o' wind soon.

3. A gurgling noise, such as that produced by someone choking or the boiling of water (s.Sc. 1825 Jam., guller; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., guller); “a rushing noise from a quantity of water” (Jak.); the noise made by a turkey-cock (s.Sc. 1825 Jam., gulder; Ant. 1892 Ballymena Obs. (E.D.D.)).Sc. 1808 Scots Mag. (Sept.) 715:
On the afternoon of the 21st Jan. they had both got drunk, and they quarrelled; the neighbours heard her scream violently, and give a guller, as if she was choaking.Edb. 1812 P. Forbes Poems 67:
Linton linn, wi' dinsome guller.Dmf. 1836 A. Cunningham Lord Roldan III. x.:
Just in the midst o' the guller, where the saut faught wi' the fresh . . . right bolt in I went.Gsw. 1868 J. Young Poems 64:
We hae at times our “bubbly Jock” . . . To deave us wi' his bluitterin guller.Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond B. Bowden (1922) xi.:
Sandy . . . sookit in a muckle bloo-flea . . . sudintly gae a hauch an' a guller.

Hence ¶(1) gulleral, the noise or feeling of choking (as in a nightmare). Cf. 1826 quot. s.v. 1; (2) guldhercock, a turkey-cock.(1) Sc. 1834 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1864) IV. 158:
I flang mysel on them [the eaglets] — and I hear them yet in the gullerals. They were eatin intil my inside.(2) Uls. 1856 Chambers's Jnl. (Mar.) 138:
Neddy the Guldhercock.

4. A noisy gulp.Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond My Man Sandy (1899) xiii.:
We feenished up wi' ice-cream. Sandy took a gullar o't afore he kent, an' I think he thocht he was brunt.

5. (1) A blustering person (Dmf. 1954); “one who cannot keep a secret”, a blabber (Gsw. 1916 T.S.D.C. II., gulder). Cf. 2. (1) above.

(2) “A rough untidy person” (Cai. Ib., guller).

6. In comb.: guller's spree [< goller-spree], a heavy drinking-bout (Sc. 1911 S.D.D.). Cf. 3., 4.