What it means
To witter is to chatter on and on about nothing in particular, a gentle stream of small talk that fills the air without really going anywhere. Your nan witters about the neighbours, a mate witters on the phone, and you nod along happily because it is cosy background noise more than actual conversation.
Usage examples
"Gran can witter on for hours about the old days, and honestly it is the best part of visiting."
"She wittered away about her garden the whole car journey and I did not mind one bit."
"My grandmother in Inverness can witter for the entire Sunday afternoon about the neighbour cat and the price of fish at the harbour market, I sit with the tea cup and nod along, and the conversation becomes the comfort of the visit rather than the information it carries to me."
"The lady at the bus stop in Glasgow wittered to me for fifteen minutes about her granddaughter wedding plans in October, the bus was late again, the wind was sharp, and by the time it arrived I knew the bridesmaid colours and the menu of the evening reception by heart."
Where it comes from
From Scots and Northern English dialect witter, originally meaning to chirp or chatter like a small bird. The verb survived in British English as the gentle label for the harmless background chatter that flows from a relative on the phone or a friend on the train, distinct from gossip in its directionless and affectionate nature across the kitchen table of the family home.
Other ways to say it
Your vote counts
Is this real street talk or have we lost the plot? Cast your vote.