dial. and U.S. colloq. [f. BLETHER v. + SKATE in Sc. used contemptuously. The Scotch song Maggie Lauder, in which this word occurs, was a favorite ditty in the American Camp during the War of Independence (J. Grant Wilson, Poets and Poetry of Scotl., I. 82); from this, bletherskate or, as more commonly used, blatherskite, became a familiar colloquialism in U.S.] A noisy talkative fellow; a talker of blatant nonsense. Hence also a vbl. sb. Blatherskiting; Bletherumskite (Ir. dial.) = BLETHER sb.
c. 1650. F. Sempill, Maggie Lauder, i. Jog on your gait, ye bletherskate [v.r. bladderskate].
1825. C. Croker, Tradit. S. Ireland, 170. He was, as usual, getting on with his bletherumskite about the fairies.
1848–60. Bartlett, Americanisms, 35. Blatherskite, a blustering, noisy, talkative fellow.
1864. Webster, Blatherskite (‘Local U. S.’).
1864. Spectator, No. 1884. 906. A muddle-headed ‘bletherskite’ called Colorado Jewett.
1880. Echo, 28 Dec., 3/5. What is expressed by the slang word ‘blatherskiting,’ consumed three of the five days.
