1873 Med. Times & Gaz. 25 Oct. 465/1 After this period slight fits of ‘mithering’ continued to recur, and a note made on December 7 states that during the preceding week he had been attacked repeatedly with loss of articulating power (ataxy).

1887 F. T. Havergal Herefordshire Words 22/1 Maythering, babbling as an imbecile.

1987 Punch (Student Issue) 43/4 Listening to Mick the barman's mithering.

1993 R. Hamilton Spinning Jenny vii. 190 There'd be all that mithering again, and Jenny was past coping with it.

2011 A. Titchmarsh Haunting vi. 35 He could have studied for a PhD in mithering and come through with flying colours.

1860 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 3 Mar. 167/1 He was frequently giddy, and he was observed to be dull, and, as the nurse said, ‘mithering’. His intellectual power was considerably impaired.

1863 Once a Week 4 Apr. 403/1 The other woman took up the candle and threw a yellow glare on the sleeper, saying, ‘She's a bit mithering at times, sir; don't mind that, she'll soon come to.’

1896 ‘J. Ackworth’ Clog Shop Chron. 239 His muther's a meytherin owd maddlin.

1991 Independent (Nexis) 26 Sept. 15 The mithering Mancunian has got his support act..together this time.

2004 in E. M. Crawley Doing Prison Work vii. 220 There's a hard core of mithering old bastards—‘scuse the language’—who outstay their welcome in this office.