Also 5–6 tater, (5 tatar), 7 tattar (totter), 8 Sc. tetter. [Known only from c. 1400, but evidenced in earlier use by TATTERED a. Of Scandinavian origin: cf. ON. *taturr (later Icel. tǫturr, töturr), pl. tötrar tatters, rags, in Norw. dial. totra, pl. totror. In OF. an instance of tatereles rags, tatters (‘a ces vies tatereles vestues’) occurs in Aucassin et Nicolette, vi.
(Notwithstanding similarity of sense, the Norse and Eng. word has no known etymological or phonetic connection with MLG. and LG. talter, pl. talteren, taltern, tatters, rags (Brem. Wbch.), whence app. Norw. dial. taltra, pl. taltrar.)]
1. An irregularly torn piece, strip, shred, or scrap of cloth or similar substance, hanging loose from the main body, esp. of a garment; more rarely applied to the separate pieces into which a thing is torn; a rag. In pl. often = tattered or ragged clothing; rags.
In early quots. applied in contempt to the ‘dags’ or projecting pieces of a slashed garment; in quot. 1470–85 to the sharp points or jags in a dragon’s tail.
1402. Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 69. Of suche wide clothing, tateris and tagges, It hirtith myn hert hevyly.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, V. iv. 165. A dredeful dragon … his hede … enameled with asure…, his taylle ful of tatters.
1520. Treat. Galaunt, 137, in Ballads fr. MSS., I. 450. With longe taters downe to the ars behynde.
1612. Rowlands, Knaue of Harts, 23. A suite of ragges and tatters on my backe.
1621. T. Williamson, trans. Goulart’s Wise Vieillard, 172. To goe woolward, in sackcloth, and haire cloth, in totters and ragges.
1686. trans. Chardin’s Trav. Persia, 97. They go Barefoot, and all in Tattars.
1791. Mrs. Radcliffe, Rom. Forest, ii. The remains of tapestry hung in tatters upon the walls.
1840. R. H. Dana, Bef. Mast, xxv. 82. Furl the sail before it blows to tatters.
1842. J. F. Cooper, Two Admirals, vii. 75. For of sailors, your lawful prince, as you call him, hasn’t enough to stopper his conscience, or to whip the tail of his coat, to keep it from being torn to tatters by the heather of Scotland.
1873. ‘Ouida,’ Pascarèl, I. 25. What does a tatter or two in the dress signify?
1884. Bower & Scott, De Bary’s Phaner., 216. Thin very obscure tatters of the ruptured tissue clothe the walls of the mature passage.
b. fig. or in fig. context.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 81. Torne to tatters with a thousand tempests of troubles.
1602. Shaks., Ham., III. ii. 11. To see a robustious Pery wig-pated Fellow, teare a Passion to tatters, to verie ragges.
1607. Barley-Breake (1877), 5. Then Hate, and Enuie, all to totters went.
1792. Cowper, Lett. to W. Hayley, 4 June. Returned from my walk, blown to tatters.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), I. 189. Philosophers,… who tear arguments to tatters.
† 2. transf. A person wearing tattered or ragged clothes; a tatterdemalion. Obs.
c. 1600. Day, Begg. Bednall Gr., V. (1881), 110. How, mary with a Beggar? mix the blood of Strowds with a tatter?
a. 1635. Randolph, Hey for Hon., III. i. Well spoke, my noble English tatter, Lead up the vanguard.
1637. Heywood, Roy. King, II. viii. What Tatter’s that that walkes there?
3. attrib. and Comb., as † tatter-rag; tatter-fudded (Sc.: see FUD), tatter-tailed adjs.; † tatter-wag (tatar-wagge), tatter-wallop (Sc. and n. dial.), a fluttering tatter or rag; also, a person in ragged clothes.
1880. J. Nicol, Poems & Songs, 29. The dirty *tatter-fudded Poor stowaway.
1570. Levins, Manip., 10/36. *Tatterraggs, panniculi.
c. 1600. Ruggle, Club Law (1907), III. ii. This is some *tattertaild Athenian.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 7257. And grey clothis not full clene But fretted full of *tatarwagges.
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 9247. He hewys his mayles res by res, He hewys hem alle In taterwagges, His hauberk heng alle In ragges.
1808. Jamieson, *Tatter-wallops, tatters, rags in a fluttering state.
1819. W. Tennant, Papistry Storm’d (1827), 204. Hood … cowl and clout, In tatter-wallops flew about.
1828. Craven Gloss., Tatter-wallops, a woman with ragged clothes.
1910. Chambers’s Jrnl., Jan., 30/1. Ye’re aye tearin’ yer clothes, ye wee tatter-wallops!
