clishmaclaver

A wonderfully expressive Scottish word for idle gossip, tittle-tattle, or pointless chitchat. The word itself sounds exactly like what it means — a rambling, clattering flow of nonsense. In Scots usage it describes the kind of gossipy chatter exchanged over a fence, at the market, or anywhere people gather to talk more than they need to. It carries mild disapproval but is often used with fond exasperation rather than genuine contempt.