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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

GAWKIT, adj. Also †gawket, gaakit, †gau(c)kit. Stupid, foolish, clumsy (Sc. 1808 Jam., gau(c)kit; Sh., Abd., Mearns, Ags., Slg., Fif., Peb., Lnk., Ayr., Wgt., Dmf. 1954). [′gǫ:kət, ′gɑ:k-]Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 14:
Pickin' out pithfu' texts and strang, Wharewi' Crail's gaukit priest he dang.Abd. 1891 J. Ogg Glints 92:
An', frien's, be we commonplace, gawket, or gifted. . . .Ayr. 1910 Poets Ayr. (Macintosh) 102:
And the warld is cauld and the pleasures in't Are werch and fushionless, gawkit and tame.Abd. 1932 D. Campbell Bamboozled 56:
Gi'e owre crawin', ye gawkit bantam!Edb. 1989 Gordon Legge The Shoe 70:
'Designer scruff is relaxed and contemplative, you're lazy and gawkit. Dirt is never trendy, muchacho.' wm.Sc. 1995 Alan Warner Morvern Callar 103:
I reckon Creeping Jesus got sick of his gawkit face, fibbing and clipeing and burglarising with his thieving hands; I hated him he was a total perv.

Hence gawketness, stupidity, awkwardness (Abd., Ags., Peb., Ayr. 1954) = Eng. gawkiness.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xxxviii.:
He's been aye a naisty lowlif't kin' o' a slype, wi' a' 's fader's gawketness, an' a gey gweed share o' 's mither's greed.