swither
Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
- verb To be indecisive or in a state of confusion; to dither.
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- noun Doubt; hesitation; perplexity; a state of irresolute wavering.
Examples
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A man in a swither is a man half absent, as poor a fighter as he is indifferent a lover; the enemy and the girl will escape him ere he has throttled the doubt at his heart There's one test to my mind for all the enterprises of man -- are they well contrived and carried to a good conclusion?
John Splendid The Tale of a Poor Gentleman, and the Little Wars of Lorn
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They found the office in a "swither," as Harry said, over the revelations of fraud that were coming to light every day -- book-keeper, clerk, and timber-checker having all been in conspiracy to defraud the company.
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Oh, they'll shift and swither and plot, and ye'll be approached (discreetly) with more hints and ploys and assurances of good will than ye can count.
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He seemed to be in a swither whether to return home, to follow ye, or to lie down and die by the road.
Note
The origin of the word 'swither' is unknown.