Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

BUCKIE, n.¹ Also used attrib. [′bʌkɪ̢]

1. A whelk, edible or otherwise; any mollusc of the genus Buccinum and allied genera. Gen.Sc. In pl., the game of Chuckie-stane as played with whelk shells (Fif. a.1838 Jam. MSS. X. 33).Sc. 1706 The Blythsome Wedding in J. Watson Choice Collection (1869) i. 10:
And there will be Partans, and Buckies, Speldens, and Haddocks anew.Sc. 1992 Guardian (16 Mar.)  26:
With regard to our edible treasures in danger (Guardian, March 7) may I add....buckies (winkles), ... Sc. 1999 Press and Journal (31 May)  3:
The aquarium's exhibit displays fish names that are still in use around the coast.
Recorded within the exhibit are bizarre names like Buckies, bandies, souslers, stuckies and prinkies. Sc. 2003 Press and Journal (5 Nov.)  3:
The plant will be operational at the start of next year and will be establishing satellite collection points in Portree, Lewis and Mallaig to collect buckies from fishermen. Sc. 2004 Aberdeen Evening Express (11 Mar.)  54:
Elton penned 'Torry seems to be the hardest word' while we were all up picking buckies near the old Battery one sunny Sunday afternoon.Sh.(D) 1898 “Junda” Echoes from Klingrahool 9:
Fan du a klok or a wiglin wirm Or a trowie buckie's marlet skurm [shell]?Cai. and Sth. 1935 N. M. Gunn Cai. and Sth. in G. Scott Moncrieff (ed.) Sc. Country 62:
Hours may be spent on this strand looking for those lovely little shells, the John o' Groat buckies [Cypræa pecticulus].Bnff. 1916 M. Symon in Bnffsh. Jnl. (28 March) 2:
Yon's his, the string o' buckie beads abeen the aumry door.Abd. 1931 D. Campbell Uncle Andie 31:
Hain yer preens tae pick buckies wi', Dooglie.Abd. 1980 Edith Bishop For You I Remember 24:
The buckies were small shell fish (similar to a snail's shell) which we ate, poking out the meat with a hairpin. Edb. 2001:
I asked the fishmonger recently what these things were called and the young girl serving assured me, it was still 'buckies.' I ate them as a child. Wgt. 1845 Stat. Acc.² IV. 138:
The baskets in which the buckies (Buccinum undatum) are caught for baiting the cod lines.

2. The shell of the common snail (Lnl.¹ 1936).Hdg. 1908 J. Lumsden Doun i' Th' Loudons, etc. 150:
That infernal machine, why, the Witch wi' ae stroke Like a snail's buckie crusht an' rhymed into a joke!

3. “A trifle of no value” (Sc. 1911 S.D.D.). Known to Abd.⁹, Fif.¹⁰, Lnl.¹ 1936.Abd. 1865 G. Macdonald Alec Forbes xxix.:
'Cause, gin I thocht they war only deils, I wadna care a buckie for them.Kcb. 1893 S. R. Crockett Stickit Minister xvii.:
Ye're no' worth a buckie at fechtin'.

4. Phrs.: (1) to come out of one's buckie, to overcome one's shyness, to lay aside one's reserve; (2) to go into one's buckie, to become silent and reserved (Abd.¹⁶ 1936).(1) Id.:
He's a quate auld stock, bit he's fairly come oot o's buckie the nicht.Abd. 1990 Stanley Robertson Fish-Hooses (1992) 25:
I started tae become very lippie and bold and fairly came oot of mi buckie. Ags. 1990s:
Comin oot o yer buckie: losing your earlier shyness.Per. 1990 Betsy Whyte Red Rowans and Wild Honey (1991) 136:
'She is comin' oot o' her buckie, tae,' Mother answered. 'If you had heard what she said tae me the other night, when Katie and her were arguing.'

5. Combs.: (1) buckie-house, a house ornamented with sea-shells on the masonry of its walls (Fif. 1953); †(2) buckie Ingram, “that species of crab denominated Cancer bernardus” (Edb. (Newhaven) 1808 Jam.); †(3) buckie prins, “a periwinkle; Turbo terebra, Linn.” (Ib. (Leith)); so called because the animal is often extracted and eaten by means of a pin; (4) buckie-snail, “common snail” (Arg.¹, Lnk.³ 1936); (5) buckie ta, “a specially large kind of buckie” (Ags.⁹ 1926).

6. A small hut or shed, such as a watchman's or workmen's shelter; the structure covering the trainer's bench at football matches (Ags. 1975), a jocular extension of 1. and 4. Sc. 1952 Sporting Post (23 Aug.) 4:
After attention in the trainer's buckie he hirples to the pavilion.