Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1941 (SND Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
CLAIK GOOSE, CLACK-, Cleck-, n. comb. The barnacle, a species of wild goose, Branta leucopsis (Ork. 1798 W. Clouston in Ork. Parishes (ed. J. S. Clouston 1927) 132). Also cleck-goose (w.Sc. 1703 M. Martin Descr. Western Islands 357) and sometimes simply claik, clake (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Sc., e.Lth. 1885 C. Swainson Brit. Birds 149). Cf. Clatter Goose.Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian xliv.:
Skirling Gaelic, like sea-maws and clack-geese before a storm.Fif. 1710 R. Sibbald Hist. Fife and Kinross (1803) 136, Note:
It was considered as no mean effort of an enlightened mind to disbelieve, that Claik Geese, as they were then called, were not really vegetable productions.
