[f. SNOT sb. Cf. MDu. snottich, NFris. snottig, older Da. snøttig, obs. G. schnutzig. The variant SNATTY appears earlier.]
The word occurs also as a sb. in dial. use; see the Eng. Dial. Dict. and Jamieson’s Sc. Dict.
1. Foul with snot or nasal mucus.
Freq. in the 17th cent. of the nose.
1570. Levins, Manip., 112/9. Snotty, purulentus.
1579. Fulke, Refut. Rastel, 797. [They] vsed them … as the Papists did with ye snottie napkins of Thomas Becket.
1602. 2nd Pt. Return fr. Parnass., III. iii. Amoretto. Her nose is like a beautious maribone. Page. Marry a sweete snotty mistres.
1654. Gataker, Disc. Apol., 77. A defluxion from his nittie Hed, into his snottie Nose.
1739. R. Bull, trans. Dedekindus’ Grobianus, 12. Your snotty Fingers … Shall well supply the polish’d Mirror’s Place.
1752. Chesterf., Lett. (1792), III. cclxxxii. 296. One day his nose was very snotty, upon which I took out my handkerchief and wiped it for him.
1867. A. Dawson, Rambling Recoll. (1868), 11. There was a knot of bare-legged snotty striplings.
prov. 1611. Cotgr., s.v. Morveux, Better a snottie nose then none.
1633. G. Herbert, Jacula Prud., Wks. (1862), 328. Better a snotty child than his nose wiped off.
b. Dirty, mean, paltry, contemptible, etc. Now dial. or slang.
1681. P. Rycaut, trans. Gracian’s Critick, 199. Let the confident Sophister know that he is but a snotty Charlatan.
1681. W. Robertson, Phraseol. Gen. (1693), 193. He babbles out his snotty slanders.
1712. Odes of Horace, II. 27/1. Horace is no such snotty author as to have this putid Stuff put upon him.
1828. T. Wilson, Pitman’s Pay (1843), 26. Ye snotty dog, Put in yor tram.
1828–. in dial. glossaries (Northbld., Cumbld., Yks., Wilts., Som., etc.).
c. dial. or slang. Angry, curt, short-tempered; pert, saucy, impudent; proud, conceited.
1870–. in various dial. glossaries and texts.
2. Consisting of snot; mucous; of the nature of, or resembling, snot; viscous, slimy. ? Obs.
1656. Ridgley, Pract. Physick, 88. That snotty white matter is not the fat.
1658. A. Fox, trans. Würtz’ Surg., II. xxii. 137. Cooling Ointments … of Oyls and other snotty and greasie things.
1683. A. Snape, Anat. Horse, III. v. (1686), 111. The snotty Excrements of the Brain.
c. 1720. Gibson, Farrier’s Guide, II. xxviii. (1738), 100. All that snotty matter comes from thence.
