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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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About this entry:
First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
COCKS, n.3 pl. In phr. cocks a wairnin, hens a dabbin, a school-boy game, “so named from the cry which the capturing ring makes to warn the piercers of the ring that they are ready” (Per. 1910 P. M'O. D. in Scotsman (9 Sept.)). Slg.3 (c.1880) gives the form cocks are warning, hens are darning [hiding] for Edb.
[Cf. the similar idea in Cock, n.1, I. 1.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Cocks n.3". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 2 Aug 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/cocks_n_3>
