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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

SMATTER, v., n. Also smather, -ir (Gregor); smaither-; smutter (Rxb. 1942 Zai). [′smɑtər; Mry., Bnff. ‡-ðər; s.Sc. + ′smʌ-]

I. v. 1. As in Eng. smatter. Vbl.n. smatterin, a small amount, in Sc. extended to other than knowledge (I. and n.Sc. 1970).ne.Sc. 1923 People's Jnl. (26 May):
There's aftentimes a gey bit smatterin' o' fun an' galleer gangs on at a richt furth-the-gate country roup.

2. tr. (1) To smash, shatter, break into fragments (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., 1942 Zai, smutter; Wgt., s.Sc. 1970). Also in Eng. and Ir. dial.Rxb. 1871 H. S. Riddell Poet. Wks. I. 4:
The pane he smattered wi' a pelt.

(2) with awa: to consume or dissipate bit by bit, to fritter away money, to nibble at food (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 170; Ags. 1970).Gregor:
He got a gey knottie o' siller at's grannie's death, bit he smathirt it a' 'wa in a year or twa.

3. intr. (1) To huddle, to move about in a constricted confused manner, like a crowd of children or small objects (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 169).

(2) To work in an untidy, unmethodical, inept way, to be or appear to be busy on trivial jobs, to potter, to make a pretence of activity (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 170; Mry. 1921 T.S.D.C.), freq. with about, at. Ppl.adj. smatherin, dawdling, footling at work (Gregor; Mry. 1930).Sc. 1883 J. Kennedy Poems (1920) 219:
Jem Tamson the smith was a throuither chield, A smatterin' bodie at best.

4. To speak in a silly, confused manner, to babble (Bnff. 1880 Jam.).

†5. To deal in small wares (Sc. 1808 Jam.).Ags. 1812 R. Wighton Beggar's Son 29:
Faith, my Dick, we'd baith be better, O'er in Angus cadgin pigs By the dykes I'd count an smatter.

II. n. 1. In pl.: fragments, bits and pieces, scraps, smithereens (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.); trifles, odds and ends, small amounts, sums, etc. (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Ags. 1970).Per. 1766 A. Nicol Poems 76:
He can pray, and tell long scrifts of Greek, And broken smatters of the Hebrew speak.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.:
Hei broke it inti smatters.

2. A small confusedly-moving group or persons or objects, a jumbled gathering of collection, a huddle (Fif. 1825 Jam.; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff, 169; ne. and sm.Sc. 1970), specif. applied to a group of children (Rnf. c.1850 Crawfurd MSS. (N.L.S.) S.97; Lnk., Ayr., Dmf. 1970). Also in deriv. forms smatterie (Lnl. 1970), smaitherie. Cf. smytrie s.v. Smyte, Smacherie.Ayr. 1790 J. Fisher Poems 82:
Ye'll fley a' thae young smatter.Sc. 1812 The Scotchman 82:
A great smaitherie o callans.Ags. 1858 People's Journal (24 July) 2:
A smatter o' wee rush or broom-theekit stacks o' grain.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 169:
The market wiz naething but a mere smathir.Abd. 1882 W. Alexander My Ain Folk 204:
To coop him up at home among the smatterie of youngsters.Fif. 1883 W. D. Latto Bodkin Papers 46:
Maybe he had left at hame a smatter o' wee duddie weans.Bnff.⁴ 1930:
Sic a smatter o' geets!

3. A pottering about, fiddling or trivial activity, untidy, unmethodical work (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 169); one who works in this way (Id.).Gregor:
They keep an unco smathir at thir work.

4. Nonsensical talk, babbling. Cf. v., 4.Sc. 1801 in De Latocnaye Promenade d'un Français dans la Grande-Bretagne 232:
I care not the signor's fun; The[y] may liogh if they chuse, at my smatter.