▪ I. dander, n.1 Sc.
(ˈdændə(r))
[Origin unknown.]
A piece of the vitrified refuse of a smith's fire or a furnace; a calcined cinder or piece of slag.
| 1791 T. Newte Tour Eng. & Scot. 230 These [peats] burnt in kiln-pots leave a plate of yetlin amongst the ashes, which the country people call a dander. 1828 Scott F.M. Perth iii, ‘Nay, father,’ said the Smith, ‘you cannot suppose that Harry Gow cares the value of a smithy-dander for such a cub.’ 1828 Specif. T. Stirling's patent No. 5685. 3 A layer of dander or the scoriæ obtained from the Carron Ironworks in Scotland. 1888 Cycl. Tour. Club Gaz. Mar. 98 1 The horse sprained the fetlock joint in the near forefoot..in consequence of a number of lumps of ashes or ‘danders’ having been left on the road. |
▪ II. dander, n.2
(ˈdændə(r))
[Origin uncertain: app. West Indian or American.]
(See quot.) Now commonly dunder, q.v.
| ? c 1796 Sir J. Dalrymple Observ. Yeast-cake 1 The season for working molasses lasts five months, of which three weeks are lost in making up the dander, that is, the ferment. |
▪ III. ˈdander, n.3
= dandruff, q.v.
▪ IV. dander, n.4 colloq. (orig. U.S.) and dial.
(ˈdændə(r))
[Conjectured by some to be a fig. use of dander3, dandruff, scurf; but possibly fig. of dander2, ferment.]
Ruffled or angry temper; in phr. to get one's dander up, etc.
| 1831 H. J. Finn Amer. Comic Ann. 148 A general roar of laughter brought Timmy on his legs. His dander was raised. 1832 Seba Smith Major Downing 104 My dander began to rise, and I couldn't hold in any longer. 1834 C. A. Davis Lett. J. Downing 34 He was as wrathy as thunder—and when he gets his dander up, it's no joke, I tell you. 1837–40 Haliburton Clockm. (1862) 31 He was fairly ryled, and got his dander up. 1847 Halliwell Dict. Arch. & Prov. Words I. 291/2 Dander, anger. 1848 Lowell Biglow P. Poems 1890 II. 49 Wut 'll git your dander riz? 1849 Thackeray Pendennis xliii, When my dander is up it's the very thing to urge me on. 1861 G. du Maurier Let. Dec. (1951) 97 If you want to get on you must put the kicking straps on your dander and offend nobody. 1884 Cheshire Gloss. s.v., ‘I got his dander up’ means I put him out of temper. [In Dialect Glossaries of Cumbrld., Sheffield, Berkshire.] 1966 Listener 17 Mar. 395/1 Precocious manifestos raise the critical dander. |
▪ V. dander, n.5 Sc. and dial.
(ˈdændə(r))
Also daunder, dauner.
[f. dander v.]
1. Sc. A stroll, a saunter.
| 1821 Joseph the Book-Man 17 He'd from Edina take a dander To Glasgow. 1883 Nasmyth Autobiog. xxi. 379 We had a long dander together through the Old Town. |
2. dial. A fit of shivering.
| 1877 in Holderness Gloss. |
▪ VI. dander, v. Sc. and dial.
(ˈdændə(r))
Also daunder, dauner, dawner.
[A frequentative form like blunder, wander. Conjectured by some to be akin to dandle: cf. dadder and daddle.]
1. intr. To walk idly or purposelessly; to stroll, saunter. (Sc. and north. dial.)
| a 1600 J. Burel in Watson Collect. (1706) II. 19 (Jam.) Quhiles wandring, quhiles dandring. 1724 Ramsay Tea-t. Misc. (1733) I. 75 Alane through flow'ry hows I dander. 1808 Anderson Cumbrld. Ball. 57 The wearied auld fwok dander'd heame. 1830 Galt Lawrie T. ix. viii. (1849) 434, I would just dauner about and dwine away. 1856 Mrs. Carlyle Lett. II. 288 To see poor Jess Donaldson daundering about, opening drawers and presses. 1889 Barrie Window in Thrums xvi. 153 Hendry dandered in to change his coat deliberately. |
2. dial. a. To ‘wander’ or ‘ramble’ in talk, to talk incoherently. b. To tremble, to vibrate; applied also to the rolling sound of a drum. In this sense akin to dunder, dunner.
| a 1724 Battle of Harlaw xviii. in Evergreen I. 85 The Armies met, the Trumpet sounds, The dandring Drums alloud did touk. 1847–78 Halliwell, Dander..to talk incoherently. Chesh. 1855 Robinson Whitby Gloss., Dander, to tremble as a house seems to do from the inside when a carriage passes heavily in the street. 1876 Mid. Yorksh. Gloss., ‘Thou danders like an old weathercock—hold still with thee.’ |
Hence ˈdanderer, one who ‘danders’; ˈdandering ppl. a., that ‘danders’.
| 1821 Blackw. Mag. Jan. 407 (Jam.) Thou art but a daunderer a-down the dyke-sides. a 1774 Fergusson Poems, Cauler Oysters, We needna gie a plack For dand'rin mountebank or quack. 1849 J. W. Carlyle Lett. II. 85 There are always some ‘dandering individuals’ dropping in. |