Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1870
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CLEEK, n.2 A term applied to Aberdeen weavers taking jobs in the Dundee mills.Ags. 1870 W. Buchanan Olden Days in Aberdeen Preface vii.:
The Dundee folks did not like to see so many Aberdeen "cleeks," as they called them, coming to take up their spare jobs. . . . When they arrived . . . the Dundonians would say by way of banter, "Ye'll better look oot, there's a curn mair cleeks come the day."
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"Cleek n.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/cleek_n2>
