Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1818-1830
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COCKLE, v.2
1. “To totter, be unsteady and easily knocked down or overturned” (Sc. 1898 E.D.D.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). Also in n.Eng. dial. (E.D.D.).
Hence cockly, unsteady (Abd.19 1937; Rxb. 2000s); given in N.E.D. for s.Sc.
2. “To topple over, as by shaking” (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).
3. Combs.: (1) cockle-brained, feather-brained, frivolous (only Eng. example in N.E.D. 1708); (2) cockle-cutit, -kittit, “having bad ancles, so that the feet seem to be twisted away from them, lying outwards” (Lnk. 1825 Jam.2). Known also to Edb.3 (1929); (3) cockleheaded, whimsical, scatter-brained; (4) cockletopt, idem. None of these combs. except (2) is known to our correspondents. [The cockle in these combs. prob. = cockly.] (1) Sc. 1824 Scott St Ronan's W. I. i.:
Thae cockle-brained callants of the present day . . . would be mair owerta'en with a puir quart than douce folks were with a magnum.(3) Sc. 1818 Scott Rob Roy xxi.:
But he's crack-brained and cockleheaded about his nipperty-tipperty poetry nonsense.(4) Ayr. 1830 Galt Southennan I. xvii.:
The old Queen's millinder, a cockletopt French leddy . . . was soon after sent out o' the kingdom.
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"Cockle v.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/cockle_v2>
