adv. phr. and adj. Chiefly Sc. Also 6 throuch(e vther, 7 thorough other, 8–9 throw ither, throwither, thro’ither; throwther, throu’ther, 9 throuther; also 7 through others, 9 throughothers. [f. THROUGH prep. + OTHER B. 8: i.e., ‘through each other.’ Cf. Ger. durcheinander.]
1. adv. phr. (Mingled) through each other or one another; promiscuously; indiscriminately; in disorder.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., X. (S.T.S.), II. 301. Captiues war numberit al throuch vther [L. plus minus] a thousand.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., III. 85. Figges, Orenges, Lemmons,… growing all through other.
1637. Monro, Exped., I. 11. Having beene divers times Pell mel through others.
1637. Rutherford, Lett. (1862), I. 317. Hope and love, woven through other.
a. 1653. Binning, Heart Humil., xviii. Wks. (1735), 622/1. Sin and Judgment mixed in thorow other.
1768. Ross, Helenore, II. 80. When she saw things had taken sick a cast, An’ sae thro’ ither warpl’d were.
1786. Burns, Earnest Cry & Prayer, Postscr. iii. Till skelp—a shot—they’re aff, a’ throwther, To save their skin.
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xvi. They were a’ speaking and gabbling through other.
2. a. In predicative use: Mingled or mixed up; in a medley; in confusion, in disorder. (In quot. 1630, Mixed up intimately.).
1630. Rutherford, Lett. (1862), I. 52. O sweet communion, when Christ and we are through other and are no longer two!
1855. Ruskin, Lett., in Collingwood, Life (ed. 5), 159. With all the pages through-other and backside foremost.
1865. Church Times, 25 Nov. Everything … is opened and dragged out, shirts and books,… clothes and letters, all topsy-turvy, and (to use that most expressive Scotch adjective) ‘through-other.’
1894. Hall Caine, Manxman, V. i. A face … like a ghose’s, and his hair all through-others.
b. adj. (in attrib. use). Confused, disorderly.
1720. Wodrow Corr. (1843), II. 492. About half an hour after I despatched mine to you,… my rude and through-other draught.
3. Of persons or their attributes (pred. or attrib.): Disorderly; wild, reckless; disordered.
1813. Picken, Poems, I. 62 (Jam.). Weel, tho’ he was so sadly throu’ther, Since than he ne’er leuk’d o’er his shouther.
1853. Whistle-Binkie, Ser. II. 10. He was idle and thro’ither, and drucken an’ a’.
1863. J. Brown, Horæ Subs. (1882), 320. Leading a wild throughother life.
1880. Jamieson’s Dict., s.v. Through-ither, Also used as an adj., implying rash, reckless, rattling; as, ‘She’s a wild, throwither lassie,’ Clydes[dale].
Mod. (Sc., Roxb.) She was a very willing servant, but oh, so throwother! no sense o’ order.
