Green’s Dictionary of Slang

overly ‘smart’ or irritatingly vague responses made by a servant.

c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Patering the Maundring or pert Replies of Servants.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Pattering, the maundering or pert replies of servants.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1785].
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.