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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

LITHER, adj., n., v.¹ Also lether-, luther; lidder, lydder. [′lɪðər]

I. adj. 1. Lax, relaxed, sluggish, languid, lethargic, without energy, lazy, idle (Slk. 1825 Jam.; Kcb.⁴ 1900; Dmf. 1961). Adv. litherly. Deriv. lidderie, id. (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 316).Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 53:
A laughing fac'd Lad makes a lither Servant. It is supposed such are too full of Roguery to be diligent.Dmf. a.1773 Trans. Dmf. & Gall. Antiq. Soc. (1933–5) 81:
Rise up Lidder lass quo' the Harper's wife Let in thy Master and the grey mare.Sc. 1820 Scott Abbot iv.:
Thine own laziness … that leaves that lither lad to do the work.Ayr. 1823 Galt R. Gilhaize II. vii.:
Litherly swinging backward, she laid her head down on her husband's threshold … and died.Slk. 1830 Hogg Winter Ev. Tales II. 41:
I hurklit litherlye down and craup forret along.Ork. 1854 N. & Q. (Ser. 1) X. 221:
Three virgins came over Jordan's land, Each with a bloody knife in her hand; Stem, blood, stem — Letherly stand! Bloody nose (or mouth) in God's name mend.Sc.(E) 1913 H. P. Cameron Imit. Christ I. x., xxii.:
Wharfor maun we be eident an' incall that time minna slide litherlie by. … What wull become o' us i' the en' wha are lew-warm an' lither sae sune?

Comb.: †lidder-hitch, a sluggish Hilch, q.v., “a term used when, in raking hay, instead of drawing forward the rake-full at one sweep, the labourer makes two” (Rxb. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XI. 108).

2. From the notion of slackness: loose, pliant, supple.Slk. 1807 Hogg Mountain Bard (1874) 101:
With limbs as lydder and as lythe As duddis hung out to dry.Rxb. 1847 J. Halliday Rustic Bard 317:
Then … welcome to habbles aye on the increase — To yerkings and yells frae a loose lither tongue.

3. Of the air or sky: yielding, soft, “when the clouds undulate” (Rxb. 1825 Jam.).Sc.(E) 1935 W. Soutar Poems in Scots 32:
But noo the nicht was comin' owre; The lither lift began to lour.

II. n. Laziness, sloth.Sc. 1887 Jam.:
Ill! he's just ill wi' the lidder.

III. v. To loaf about, to idle (Cai. 1902 E.D.D.).