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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

ROOKETTY, int. Also rookety, rooketie, rookity, rucket(t)y, ruckity; ro(o)cata (Ags. 1945 Scots Mag. (Feb.) 336). An imitation of the first notes in the call of a pigeon or dove, used in combs.: 1. rooketty-coo, (i) n. the call of a pigeon or dove (Arg.¹ 1930). Gen.(exc. I.)Sc.; (ii) v. of a pigeon: to coo; fig. of lovers: to talk affectionately, to “bill and coo”; 2. rookety doo, a tame pigeon (Slg., w.Lth., Bwk., Ayr. 1968). Cf. Doo, n.; 3. rooketieroo, to coo as a pigeon (Bwk. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XII. 188). [′rukəti]1. (i) Sc. 1935 D. Rorie Lum Hat 33:
Preenin' an' rinkin' Wi' your “Ruckity-coo”.(ii) Ayr. 1822 Galt Entail xlvi.:
I jealouse ye hae some end o' your ain for rooketty-cooing wi' my wee Betty Bodle.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin xiii.:
Then wad ensue anither roond o' rooketty-cooin' to the further befylment o' their faces an' runklement o' their ringlets.Ayr. 1901 G. Douglas Green Shutters iii.:
A cock-pigeon strutted round rooketty-cooing in the sun.Ags. 1921 A. S. Neill Carroty Broon v.:
The homer was rucketty-cooing on the shelf of the tumblers.Abd. 1931 D. Campbell Uncle Andie 27:
It winna be a rookity-cooin' ahin he cries in here the nicht.Kcd. 1958 Mearns Leader (14 Feb.):
Turtle doos crooddlin' an' ruckety-cooin'.2. Bwk. 1876 W. Brockie Leaderside Legends 47:
Ye never built a rabbit hoose, Or fed a rookety doo.