Flit v.

Forms: 3–4 flitten, Orm. flittenn, 3 flut(t)en, 3–6 flytt(e, 4–6 flyt(e, 4–9 flitt(e, (6 fliet), 4– flit. Pa. t. 3 flutte, 4 flitt, 5 flette, flyt, 6 flit. Pa. pple. 4 yflit, iflut, 7 flit, [ME. flitten, flutten, a. ON. flytja (Sw. flytta, Da. flytte), f. *flut- weak grade of the root of flióta: see FLEET v.¹]

  1.  trans. To remove, transport, or take away to another place; to transfer from one position to another; to remove (a person) from his house or habitation. Now chiefly Sc. or dial.

c. 1200.  Ormin, 15648.

c. 1250.  Gen. & Ex., 1521.

c. 1374.  Chaucer, Troylus, V. 1544.

c. 1375.  Lay Folks Mass Bk. (MS. B.), 155.

c. 1425.  Wyntoun, Cron., VII. v. 181.

c. 1450.  Life of St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 3442. In to þat my body flitt.

1558.  in Balfour, Practicks (1754), 106. Scho may not flit nor remove the tenentis, occupiaris of the samin.

1572.  Sempill Ball., xxix. (1872), 152.

c. 1640.  J. Smyth, Lives Berkeleys (1883), I. 155. This lord for his better profit exchanged, removed, and flitted, part of his Cattle of most of the foresaid kindes at certaine seasons of the yeare from one manor to another accordinge to the diversity and condition of the soile and deepnes of the feedinge.

1782.  Sir J. Sinclair, Observ. Scot. Dial., 84. To flit. To remove any thing in general, particularly furniture.

1807.  Overseer’s Acct., in Rutland Gloss. (1891), s.v. For fliting sarah Hails 1s. 6d.

1861.  G. W. Dasent, Burnt Njal, II. 40. They flitted home their goods and laid up the ship, and Kari was there that winter with Njal.

1863.  Baring Gould, Iceland, 257. One fine afternoon, he flitted his guest out to the island, and put him stealthily ashore, without attracting the notice of those on the height.

  b.  spec. To shift (a tethered animal, occas. the tether) from one spot to another, when it has eaten all the grass within reach; hence, to tether. Also, to shift the position of (a sheep-fold).

1523.  Fitzherb., Husb., § 18. To flyte it [the shepefolde] euery mornynge or nyght. Ibid., § 148. Flytte hym [thy horse] as ofte as thou wylte.

1786.  Burns, Auld Farmer’s New-Year Salut., xviii.

1816.  Sir A. Boswell, Skeldon Haughs, 44.

1881.  Leicestersh. Gloss., s.v. ‘The goot (goat) were flitted to the middle cloo’es-poost.’

  † c.  Of a boat, etc.: To serve to transport. Obs.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 25708 (Cott.).

1375.  Barbour, Bruce, III. 420.

  d.  Naut. (See quots., and FLEET v.¹ 12.)

1750.  T. R. Blanckley, Naval Expos., Flitting. Altering or removing a dead Eye in the Low or Top-mast Shrouds and Backstays, either to lengthen or shorten them, is called Flitting.

1793.  Smeaton, Edystone L., § 143. In this way we proceeded flitting the tackle and lowering till our anchor was grounded. Ibid., 158. Having so many times to stop, overhawl, and flit … the work could not go on very speedily.

  † 2.  To remove, get rid of (a thing); to drive away (an insect). Obs.

c. 1350.  Will. Palerne, 623. Fele times haue ich fonded · to flitte it fro þouȝt.

c. 1400.  Rom. Rose, 1812.

1596.  Gosson, Pleasant Quippes for Gentlewomen, 110.

  † 3.  To change the condition or direction of; to alter, cause to deviate or waver; to pervert (law). Obs.

c. 1200.  Ormin, 13414.

c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, Lucia, 279. Þar-with for to flit hyre thocht.

1393.  Gower, Conf., III. 183. If he wolde flitte The lawe for the covetise.

14[?].  Lydg., Temple of Glas, 1247.

  † 4.  refl. To betake oneself, go, direct one’s course. Obs.

c. 1200.  Ormin, 15853.

13[?].  in Horstmann, Altengl. Leg., II. 97. Bot þou flit þe ferr, For his sake þou sal far (þe) werr.

  5.  intr. To shift one’s position, either in a material or immaterial sense; to be gone, depart, pass away, remove. Also with away, or const. from, † of, out of, to.

c. 1200.  Ormin, 12765.

a. 1240.  Sawles Warde, in Cott. Hom., 251. Ferliche ha flutteð from þe heate in to þe chele.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 12487 (Cott.).

c. 1340.  Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 3762. Bot when a man fra þis world sal flitte.

c. 1400.  Rom. Rose, 5359.

1471.  Ripley, Comp. Alch., IV. vii. in Ashm. (1652) 145.

1529.  More, A Dialoge of Comfort against Tribulacion, I. Wks. 1147/2. But if our selfe flytte from him.

1576.  Gosson, Speculum Humanum, in The Schoole of Abuse (Arb.), 76.

1619.  J. Welsh, in Wodr. Soc. Misc. (1844), 562. Weaknes of body growis now greitlie, and syndrie summonis to flit owt of this lyfe.

1642.  H. More, Song of Soul, III. II. xliii.

1695.  Woodward, Nat. Hist. Earth, I. (1723), 38. Many were of Opinion, that the Sea frequently flitted and changed its Place: that several Parts of the Globe which are now dry Land, and habitable, lay heretofore at the Bottom of the Sea.

1790.  Burns, Tam o’ Shanter, vii.

1858.  Froude, Hist. Eng., III. xiii. 100. Towards the fall of the summer, clergy from the southern counties had been flitting northward, and on their return had talked mysteriously to their parishioners of impending insurrections, in which honest men would bear their part.

1868.  Hawthorne, Amer. Note-bks. (1879), II. 65–6. Our spirits must have flitted away unconsciously, and we can only perceive that we have cast off our mortal part by the more real and earnest life of our souls.

  † b.  To depart, deviate, swerve from a custom, justice, law, etc. Obs.

c. 1200.  Ormin, 13428.

a. 1420.  Hoccleve, De Regimine Principum, 2704.

c. 1450.  Life of St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 7903. Fra alde custome þai walde noȝt flytt.

1571.  Campion, Hist. Irel., XI. xi. (1633), 72. Vivian the legate on the Popes behalfe doth accurse and excommunicate all those that flitte from the obeysance of the Kings of England.

  † c.  Of a horseman: To lose his seat and fall to the ground. Obs.

1430.  Lydgate, Chronicle of Troy, I. ix.

1458.  in Turner, Dom. Archit., III. 41. Som oute of her sadels flette to the grounde.

a. 1605.  Montgomerie, Misc. Poems, xli. 51.

  † d.  quasi-trans. To migrate from (a place); to change (places); to shift (one’s camp, etc.).

c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 13654. Wyþ force he dide hem flitte þet stede.

1570.  G. Buchanan, Chamæleon, Wks. (1892), 52. The moist part flittit camp and went to Lynlythquow, and yair set furth yair proclamatioun dytit be Chamæleon.

1674.  N. Fairfax, A Treatise of the Bulk and Selvedge of the World, 139. Spirits change their Beings here or there, in the All of bodies, far otherwise than bodies do when they flit places.

1715.  Roxb. Ball., VI. 620.

  6.  To remove from one habitation to another, change one’s residence, ‘move.’ Chiefly north. or Sc. (In proverbial expressions often opposed to sit.)

1504.  Plumpton Corr., 191. I will flitt at this next Mighelmas, as I am full mynded, or sonner, with Gods grace.

a. 1553.  Udall, Royster D., II. iii. (Arb.), 36.

1641.  H. Best, Rural Economy in Yorkshire in 1641 (Surtees), 135. Theire desire … is to goe to theire newe masters eyther on a Tewsday, or on a Thursday; for … they say Munday flitte, Neaver sitte.

1721.  J. Kelly, Scot. Prov., 105. Fools are fain of flitting, and wise Men of sitting. Spoken to them who are fond of altering their Place, Station, or Condition, without good Reason.

1871.  C. Gibbon, For Lack of Gold, v. When you need to flit, there’s a house of mine standing empty that you can take at any time.

  † 7.  To change from one state, condition, or direction to another; to alter, shift about, give way.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Pars. T., ¶ 295. Whan man torneth his hert from God, which that is verray soverayn bounte, that may not chaunge and flitte, and give his herte to a thing that may chaunge and flitte.

c. 1430.  How Wise Man tauȝt Son, 116, in Babees Bk. (1868), 51.

1500–20.  Dunbar, Poems, lxvi. 95.

1590.  Spenser, F. Q., I. iv. 5.

a. 1605.  Montgomerie, Misc. Poems, xxxi. 58.

1725.  Ramsay, Gent. Sheph., II. iv. (1875), 33.

1816.  Coleridge, Statesm. Man., App. 35. The intellectual eyes of the Many flit, and are incapable of looking fixedly toward the God-like.

  b.  Of a flame: To die down.

1839.  Marryat, Phantom Ship, I. xi. 245. Not ill, but still evidently wasting away, like a candle burnt down to the socket, flitting and flaring alternately; at one time almost imbecile, at others, talking and planning as if he were in the vigour of his youth.

1887.  Swinburne, Locrine, I. i. 261. Guendolen. Thy smile is as a flame that plays and flits.

  8.  To move along, pass, proceed; to pass lightly or softly and (usually) with rapidity or suddenness. Often with adverbs, as about, away, by, to and fro, etc. Said both of material and immaterial things.

c. 1430.  Lydg., Bochas, II. vi. (1554), 42 b. Or that I any farther flitte … To diuines this matter I committe.

c. 1440.  York Myst., xv. 34. Flitte faste ouere thees felles.

1613.  Purchas, Pilgrimage, IV. viii. (1614), 386. Forced to flee to the mountaines where he liued three months vnknowne amongst the heardmen, flitting vp and downe with ten or twelue followers.

1618.  Bolton, Florus, Preface. So much as the very greatnesse it selfe is an impediment to it selfe, and the varietie of matter makes the minde abruptly flit from one thing to another.

1642.  H. More, Song of Soul, I. II. v.

1781.  Cowper, Retirem., 191.

1810.  Scott, Lady of L., III. xi.

1838.  Dickens, Nich. Nick., xvi. General postmen grow faint as they entered its infected limits, and shabby figures in quest of franks, flit restlessly to and fro like the troubled ghosts of Complete Letter-writers departed.

1851.  Helps, Comp. Solit., xiii. (1874), 246. I seemed to see the various races who had occupied the spot flit by—Briton, Roman, Saxon, Norman, each with his laws, manners, and customs imprinted on his bearing, the wrecks of mighty empires shown in the very accoutrements of each shadowy form as it went by.

1864.  Tennyson, Aylmer’s F., 202.

  b.  esp. Of a bird or other winged creature: To fly lightly and swiftly; also, to make short and swift flights, to flutter.

1535.  Coverdale, 2 Esdras, v. 6. And the foules shal flyt, and the Sodomitysh see shal cast out his fish.

1556.  J. Heywood, Spider & F., liv. 34.

1590.  Spenser, F. Q., III. xi. 42.

1700.  Dryden, Fables, Meleager & Atalanta, 401.

1817.  Campbell, Poems, Reullura, 15.

1864.  Tennyson, En. Ard., 269.

  c.  Of time: To pass away.

1573.  Baret, Alv., F 706. Time flitted away quickly.

1583.  Stanyhurst, Æneis, I. (Arb.), 26. Hee shal bee the regent, vntil yeers thirtye be flitted.

1868.  Morris, Earthly Par., I. 72. So smoothly o’er our heads the days did flit.

  † 9.  To sustain existence, to live by (i.e., upon). Obs.

  [Cf. ON. flytja to provide with necessaries (a fig. application of the original sense ‘to ferry, help forward’), whence refl. flytjask to maintain oneself.]

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 202. Al so ȝisceð a ȝissare þet moni þusunt muhten bi flutten [printed biflutten]. Ibid., 428. Non ancre seruant ne ouhte, mid rihte, uorto asken i-sette huire, bute mete & cloð þet heo mei vlutten bi.

  Hence † Flit, Flitted, † Flitten ppl. a., that has gone away, departed.

1590.  Spenser, F. Q., I. vii. 21.

1642.  H. More, Song of Soul, II. ii. II. xxxviii.