Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 2005 (SND, online supplement).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1972-2004
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O'CLOCK, adv. also o'cloak. In phr. one etc. o'clock and no a ..., Expression of impatience at one's failure to accomplish tasks (Sh., Bnff., Ags., Edb., Arg., Ayr., Dmf., Rxb. 2000s).Gsw. 1972 Molly Weir Best Foot Forward (1974) 200:
... if they were in a rush in the afternoons they'd exclaim, to peals of laughter, 'Two o'clock and no' a peenie on the wean', or 'Two o'clock and no' a wean washed'. I hadn't realized such expressions were comical; to me they were quite normal, for I'd heard the women in the back courts use them all my life.Edb. 2004:
Five o'cloak an no a bairn washed.
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"O'clock adv.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/snd00090515>
