Fwd: Re: query

[Douglas G. Wilson]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        Re: query
Date:   Wed, 28 Aug 2013 18:54:48 -0400
From:   Douglas G. Wilson <douglas at nb.net>
To:     Brenda Lester <alphatwin2002 at yahoo.com>



On 8/28/2013 2:39 PM, Brenda Lester wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Brenda Lester <alphatwin2002 at YAHOO.COM>
> Subject:      query
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "flat as a flitter"=0A=0AOED defines it=A0 as a "minute square =0Aof thin m=
> etal" used collectively as decorations.=0A=0ASome southern folks are asking=
>   about it.=0A=0Athanks,=0Abl
--

I think that's probably the wrong "flitter".

DARE (v. 2, p. 482) shows "flitter", variant of "fritter", meaning
fritter or flapjack, and "flat as a flitter" = "very flat" (like "flat
as a pancake", I guess).

"Flat as a flitter" has examples in DARE from 1906 and later and DARE
says "flitter" = "flapjack" is "chiefly South Midland".

I have myself heard (seldom) "flat as a fritter".

-- Doug Wilson

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