Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. lousy, infested; thus chatty doss, a louse-infested bed.

1753		J. Poulter Discoveries (1774) 43: The Cull is chattey; the Man is lousey.
1786		Whole Art of Thieving .
1812		Vaux Vocab. of the Flash Lang.
1846		Swell’s Night Guide 72: The shallow boy [...] darted his fish-hooks into his boddy-bag, and began angling under his armpits [...] ‘I’m as chatty as a bencooling duck’.
1859, 1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1904		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 15 June 4/2: Naming the Neddy [...] He [...] said he would prefer something reminiscent of its sire, ‘Scotch Grey,’ and [...] I suggested ‘Chatty,’ or ‘Crummy’.
1914		B.J. Brookes diary 9 Dec. 🌐 On the march back [...] a careful observer will notice a large amount of wriggling and scratching going on, and then the men realise that they are ‘chatty’ or ‘crumby.’ [...] once started it is almost impossible to get rid of these objectionable livestock.
1918		Aussie (France) VIII Oct. 3/1: Offence: Being chatty and refusing to scratch. [...] Punishment Awarded: Bath and clean (?) change at Divvy Baths.
1925		(con. WWI) Fraser & Gibbons Soldier and Sailor Words 52: Chatty: Verminous.
1935		‘George Orwell’ Clergyman’s Daughter (1986) 170: Press up agen old Daddy, dear[...] He’s chatty, but he’ll keep you warm.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
1967		J. Wynnum I’m a Jack, All Right 60: ‘Well, this is home [...] What d’you think of it?’ ‘Chatty [...] Could do with a good hosing down and scrubbing’.
1973		(con. 1930s) F. Huelin ‘Keep Moving’ 24: Take the bloody lot if you want ’em [...] They [i.e. blankets] oughta be burnt. They could be chatty.

2. in weak use of sense 1, moth-eaten, worn.

1989		R.G. Barrett Boys from Binjiwunyawunya 53: The carpet was a bit chatty, like the curtains.
1990		R.G. Barratt ‘Who’s Jack of Robbo?’ in What Do You Reckon (1997) [ebook] Clive Robertson looks exactly like a pox doctor. Same boring tie, same chatty suit.