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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

COCKY-ROOSIE, -ROSY, -ROSIE, COCKIE-RIDIE-ROOSIE, -reedie-rosie, -ridy-rowsy, Cock-a-ride-roozy,  Cocker-ridie-roozie, n. comb., v. [′kɔkɪ̢ ′ru:zi, -′ro:zi, -′rəidi′ru:zi, ′kɔkər —, ′kɔkɪ̢ ′ridi ′ro:zi]

I. n. comb.

1. (1) “A game among children, in which one rides on the shoulders of another, with a leg on each side of his neck, and the feet over on his breast” (Lnk. 1825 Jam.², cocker-ridie-roozie; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., cockie-ridie-roosie).Sc. 1928 J. G. Horne Lan'wart Loon 9:
But Jim bood ha'e his cocky-rosy . . . An' like the Auld Man o' the Sea, Fell laith to pairt wi' company.Peb. 1817 R. Brown Comic Poems 82:
The Musketeers proposed to hoist the Victorious Ass, cocky-ridy-rowsy, on Samuel's shoulders.

(2) See 1987 quot.Edb. 1955 J. Thompson D. Stewart's College 77:
Cocky-rosie still returns to the junior school with the swallow.Edb. 1987:
Cocky-rosie: A game played in the 1920s by pupils at Daniel Stewart's College, aged about 8-11 years. A boy stood in front of a line of boys and called one from the line who had to run or jink past him to a wall or other boundary about 50 yards away. If he was caught he joined the first and then had the right to call the next one till all had been called. Those who got through were called again to go through all those already caught and they tried to get through the crowd and to the starting line . This was repeated till all were caught. I don't know if this game is still played. It may have originally been an old street game.

2. “The jogging a child on one's knee” (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). Used attrib. in quot.Lnk. 1893 J. Crawford Sc. Verses and Sangs 20:
To claim his cocky-roosie ride.

3. “A punishment inflicted by children upon another, for some supposed misdemeanour” (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).Rxb. 1825 Jam.²:
She deserves cockie-reedie-rosie for her behaviour.

II. v. To sit astride, to straddle in imitation of riding a horse. Bwk. 1880 T. Watts Woodland Echoes 127:
Thy auld dozant couples, where stridlins we'd sit Hoo we'd cock-a-ride-roozy till aff rowed a stane.