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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SLAIGER, v., n. Also slaigger, slegger, slaeggur; slagger, -ar; †slyaager (Cai. 1904 E.D.D.). [′slegər]

I. v. 1. tr. (1) To besmear with some soft, wet substance, to bedaub, as with mud, filth or the like (Cld. 1880 Jam.; Cai. 1904 E.D.D.; Cai., Mry., Bnff., m. and s.Sc. 1970); to work in a messy way. Ppl.adj. slaigerin, dirty, slovenly, slatternly (Id.). Derivs. slaigerer, an untidy worker, a sloppy slovenly person (Cld. 1825 Jam.); slaigersom, dirty or slovenly in one's actions (Cld. 1880 Jam.).Slg. c.1860 Trans. Slg. Arch. Soc. (1923) 23:
Wi' bauchles a' slaiggered owre.Hdg. 1886 J. P. Reid Facts and Fancies 131:
[We] whiles gat a lickin' for slaig'rin' oor claes.Edb. 1916 T. W. Paterson Wyse-Sayin's xxviii. 10:
Himsel 'll gang ower wi' a slaigerin soss, Heid-ower-heels, in the sheuch that his ain hauns howkit.Lnk. 1925 W. Queen Guide to We're a' Coortin' 41:
Slaigger yer breid weel wi' jeely.Fif. 1932 M. Bell Pickles and Ploys 132:
Some o' ye slaigered the baith ends o' it.w.Lth. 1960 People's Jnl. (5 Nov.) 7:
A bunnet, auld an' slaigered wi' pent.

(2) To apply, smear or daub on (a soft wet substance) (Cai. 1970).Slg. 1932 W. D. Cocker Poems 26:
The mortar was weel slaigered on.Rxb. 1952 Scots Mag. (March) 459:
Noo awat, it [beauty] is shallower far, When sae aft it's slaigered oot o' a jar.m.Sc. 1994 Agnes Thompson in James Robertson Tongue in Yer Heid 122:
Whit Ah widnae gie fur a fish supper, slaiggered wi salt an vinegar. Ayr. 2000:
His hair wiz slaigert doun wi brylcream.

2. intr. (1) To eat or drink in a messy, slovenly way (Slk. 1825 Jam., esp. of dogs; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 166; Mry., Slg., wm. and s.Sc. 1970); (2) to walk messily in soft wet soil, to splash through mud, to flounder about in walking, to plod along in a weary, careless way, to puddle about in dirt (Rxb. 1802 J. Sibbald Chron. Sc. Poetry Gl.; Slk. 1825 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Peb., wm.Sc. 1970). Deriv. slaigerer, n., one who walks messily or lethargically (Cld. 1880 Jam.).(2) m.Lth. 1857 Misty Morning 236:
I'm tired gaun slaigerin' through a place like this a' morning.Rxb. 1904 Border Mag. (July) 140:
Wi' slorpin feet, I platch an' slaiger.Lnk. 1922 T. S. Cairncross Scot at Hame 60:
They may slaiger, or play fitba' in the street.

(3) to make a gurgling or growling noise in the throat (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 166).

II. n. 1. A wet, soggy or slimy mess, a soft wet lump, daub, smear of mud, sloppy food or the like (Knr. 1825 Jam., Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 166, slagger; e., wm. and s.Sc. 1970). Also fig. Deriv. slaiggery, adj., messy.Slg. 1767 Session Papers, Petition J. Callendar (13 Feb.) 18:
The said new-thrown-up earth being all turned mire and slagger.Cld. 1825 Jam.:
A slaiger o' dirt; a slaiger o' cauld parritch.m.Lth. 1857 Misty Morning 39:
To clap a slaiger o' mustard on't.Edb. 1916 T. W. Paterson Wyse-Sayin's xix. 26:
A callan that splairges an ugsome slaiger on his ain name.Sc. 1925 Scots Mag. (Jan.) 279:
An illdeedie, muck-th'-byre slaeggur!Lnk. 1951 G. Rae Howe o' Braefoot 14:
The saecond last pock was sae slaiggery.Abd. 1956 People's Jnl. (21 July):
A slagger o' blaeberry pie an' ream.

2. The act of bedaubing, a slovenly untidy way of working, slovenly work (Bnff., Cld. 1880 Jam.; Slg., Fif., Lth., wm. and s.Sc. 1970).

3. A dirty way of eating, a slobbering (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 166).

4. (The act of making) a gurgling noise in the throat; a growling sound, the growl of a dog (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 166).