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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

FLEUK, n.¹ Also flook, fluke, †fluick, †fleuck, †flouk. [fl(j)uk Sc., but fløk m.Sc.]

1. The flounder, Platichthys flesus (Sc. 1782 J. Sinclair Ob. Sc. Dial. 118). Gen.Sc. Obsol. in Eng. except in fishing dial. Dim. and adj. fleukie (ne.Sc., Ags. 1952). Hence fleuk-mouthed (Arg.³ 1952), flukie-mou'd, having a mouth like a flounder, i.e. large and drooping.Sc. 1703 Acts Parl. Scot. XI. 59:
Other fishings belonging to Brughtie such as fluicks truits &c.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore 11:
Now Nory was as modest as a fleuk.m.Lth. 1808 Scots Mag. (June) 404:
Still greater numbers of young plaise (here confounded, under the name of fleuk, with other species of flounder).Rnf. a.1810 R. Tannahill Poems (1815) 172:
Wi girnin, her mou's like the gab o the fleuk.Wgt. 1877 G. Fraser Sk. and Anec. 376:
He wudna think o' takin' a wee drap tea whiles, bit juist aye haud on at the pitawtas an' fleuks.Bnff. 1888 Sc. N. & Q. II. 44:
The fishing villages of Aberdeenshire and Banffshire have all attached to them some descriptive rhyme, which, in some cases, hits rather severely the peculiarities of the inhabitants. “The dinskinned Culleners, The knock-kneed Portknockiers, The flukie-mou'd Slochiers, A' ran, tan, tee.”Ork. 1922 J. Firth Reminisc. 151:
A whitemaw always maks a dab at a fleuk's liver.

2. In combs.: (1) beggar (biggar) fleuk, the flounder, Platichthys flesus (Mry. 1880–84 F. Day Fishes II. 35); (2) bonnet flook, see Bonnet, 4. (6); (3) craig flook, see Craig, n.¹, 6. (2); (4) fleured [flowered] flook, the plaice, Pleuronectes platessa (Sh. 1949 J. Gray Lowrie 25), so-called from its bright spotted markings. See Flour; (5) fluke-bag, a bag for holding a catch of flounders; (6) fluke fou, a spear for catching flounders in sand. See Fow, n., 1.; (7) fluke-treading, a method of catching flounders by treading on wet sand and causing them to rise. See Tread, v., B; (8)fresh-water fleuk, the flounder, Platichthys flesus (Mry. 1852 Zoologist X. 3485; Fif. 1952). See quot. under (1); (9) gray fleuk, (a) the dab, Limanda limanda (Ib.); (b) = (1) (Bnff. 1845 Stat. Acc.² XIII. 13; Fif. 1953); (10) gunner fleuk, the turbot, Scophthalmus maximus (Fif. 1710 R. Sibbald Hist. Fif. and Knr. 50; Edb. 1811 Trans. Wernerian Soc. I. 537); (11) little black hairy fluke, Müller's top-knot, one of the species Phrynorhombus or Zeugopterus; (12) long fleuk, the rough dab, Hippoglossoides platessoides (Edb. 1880–84 F. Day Fishes II. 10); (13) plash fleuk, the plaice, Pleuronectes platessa (Mry. 1852 Zoologist X. 3485); (14) rannok flook. See Rannok; (15) rawn fleuk, = (10). See Rawn; (16) rid flook, ? the common flounder (Sh. 1949 J. Gray Lowrie 25); (17) roan-, rodden fleuk, (a) the turbot, Scophthalmus maximus (Abd. 1795 Stat. Acc.¹ V. 277, fleuck). See Rowan, Rodden; (b) the brill, Scophthalmus rhombus (Abd. 1815 J. Arbuthnot Flshes 59); (18) sail fluke, the megrim, Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis (Ork. 1880–84 F. Day Fishes II. 22); (19) salt-water fluke, the dab (Edb. Ib. 32); (20) sand-fleuk, the smear-dab or lemon sole, Microstomus kitt (Edb. 1811 Trans. Wernerian Soc. I. 537), so called because it was thought the fish ate only sand: (21) siller fluke, the brill, Scophthalmus rhombus (Abd. 1880–84 F. Day Fishes II. 16); (22) sole fleuk, the lemon sole, Microstomus kitt (Fif. 1710 R. Sibbald Hist. Fif. and Knr. 50; Mry. 1852 Zoologist X. 3485).(1) ne.Sc. 1903 G. Sim Fauna of “Dee” 248:
Fresh water fluke. Beggar fluke. Biggar fluke. Common both along the coast and in our rivers, up which it ascends for many miles.(5), (6), (7)Dmf. 1899 Border Mag. (Oct.) 200:
He next provides himself with a "fluke-bag" and "fluke fou;" the latter a three-pronged spear with which to impale the flounders. . . . This happened on an excursion that three of us made away down the river "fluke-treading."(11) Lth. 1837 Wernerian Soc. Mem. 378:
In the Edinburgh market it receives the name of the Little Black Hairy Fluke, and is very rarely seen except during stormy weather.(17) (a) Sc. 1802 J. Pinkerton Mod. Geog. I. 192:
The Turbot, which in Scotland is called Rodden-fleuk; the last word being a general denomination for flounders and other flat fish.(20) ne.Sc. 1903 G. Sim Fauna of “Dee” 247:
Sand Fluke. Since the trawl fishing began along the east coast . . . found to be an abundant species, and large numbers are brought into Aberdeen Market.(22) Dmf. c.1700 Trans. Dmf. and Gall. Antiq. Soc. (1901) 57:
Oysters, soleflouks, . . . eels sometimes three ells long or more . . . skate or flounder.