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 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.

SLITTER, v., n.¹ Also sluit(t)er; sklitter. [′slɪtər]

I. v. 1. To work or walk messily in water or the like, to splash about untidily or carelessly (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; m.Sc. 1970); to eat or drink messily, to slobber over one's food (Ib.).Lnk. 1895 W. Stewart Lilts 231:
Ye'll slitter ankle deep in glaur.m.Sc. 1991 William Neill in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 50:
Yon tartan laird in the picter wi his glessfu o whisky
an the bonnie pipers playin in yon kid-on Balmoral
cannae possibly be drinkin the selsame stuff
as yon puir gowk staucherin aboot the Gressmercat
slitterin an boakin his saul oot in the siver
inspired nae doot bi bauld John Barleycorn. Ayr. 2004:
Och, yuv slittered yer yoghurt!

2. tr. To besmear with something wet or messy, to besmirch, make messy or stained (m.Sc., Rxb. 1970).Lnk. 1895 W. Stewart Lilts 23:
Wi' bluid and jam my claes were slittered o'er.

II. n. 1. Semi-liquid matter, a sloppy mess, an unpalatable or badly-cooked mixture of food, a state of untidiness or dirt, esp. of what has been spilt or smeared about (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., sluitter; m.Sc. 1970). Adj. sluittery, sluitrie (Rnf. 1837 Crawfurd MSS. XI. 327), wet and messy, sloppy (Watson; m. and s.Sc. 1970); also fig. soft in character, unmanly.Ayr. 1912 G. Cunningham Verse 107:
Lo'd ye make an unco sluitter, See your peenie; luk at that.s.Sc. 1933 Border Mag. (Aug.) 125:
Yon slittery gab o' his is for weemin folk.

2. A slovenly or untidy worker, a slattern, slut (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., sluitter; m. and s.Sc. 1970); a messy person. Hence slittery, adj., slovenly, sluttish (Ayr. 1904 E.D.D.).Edb. 2004:
She's an awfie slitter when she's painting.