watter (-tth-) - Hamely Tongue
Source: The Hamely Tongue: A Personal Record of Ulster-Scots in County Antrim
Author: James Fenton
Comments: ‘The Hamely Tongue’ has been widely acclaimed as the authoritative record of contemporary (surviving) Ulster-Scots in its heartland of County Antrim where James Fenton faithfully recorded his dictionary items among a network of other native speakers over a 30-year period. This searchable online version of his book takes its text from ‘Part One’ of the fourth edition of 2014 and includes over 3000 word entries. The book preliminaries, supplementary word lists and end matter have been excluded.
watter (-tth-) ~ water; a stream or river (the bak watter; the big watter). as wake as watter (of a person) feeling very weak; completely lacking in strength or energy. a’ the yin watter all one of a kind (of a family, politicians, etc.). couldnae howl hir ain watter (of a woman who is) wholly incapable of keeping a secret. lift aff the watter acquire (a trait, disposition, etc.) by chance (usu. neg.: He daesnae lift that aff the watter — i.e. it’s inherited). lint watter the dark, sour-smelling water (highly poisonous to fish) in which flax has been retted. moss watter the dark peaty water found in moss-ponds. o the first watter of the worst kind (a profligate o the first watter). rid-watter (see rid). soor watter the sour gastric fluid rising to the mouth from an upset stomach. watter brash (see brash). watter ga (Ba); watter gall (Br); watter spoot (G) a poor, distant, badly-formed rainbow (a portent of bad weather - Br). watterhen the moorhen. watter-lily the wild iris. watter quail the water rail (Ba,G). watter-trak (see trak). wattery (of a person) small-minded; lacking in generosity; lacking in character or masculinity. wattery frost a light frost in humid conditions. wattery prootas (same as wet prootas: see proota). v. provide (stock) with water. wattered an fothered (of beasts and men) having received sufficent drink and food. watter the powny (see powny).
