Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

MOCK, v., n. Sc. usages:

I. v. 1. Phr. to mock on, to mock (at) (Inv. 1890 Highland News (18 Oct.) 2).

2. Derivs.: (1) mocker, the whitethroat, Sylvia communis, because of its habit of imitating the calls of other birds (Ayr. 1929 Paton & Pike Birds Ayr. 65); (2) mockrife, -riff, mokriffe, scornful, mocking (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.); (3) mocksome, given to mimicry (Ork. 1963).(2) Cld. 1818 Scots Mag. (Oct.) 327:
Loud leuch the elf wi' mockrife glee.Sc. 1839 Chambers's Jnl. (10 Aug.) 232:
“Five-an'-twenty puffs o' tobacco-reek!” quo' the auld mockrife carle.Edb. 1873 A. Wanless Poems 85:
And in my lugs unearthly sounds And mockriff laughs he shouted.Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 41:
Reid een gleanin
bushels o bumbazement frae his past, frae the mockrife faces
lauchin aroon him.(3) Ork.¹ 1949:
Sanday folk are mocksome.

II. n. As in Eng., derision, scorn, something to be scorned or derided. Specif.: the very small egg which a hen occasionally lays (w.Lth., Rxb. 1963).Wgt. 1897 Proc. British Assoc. V. 471:
The small egg a hen sometimes lays bears the names of a “nocht” and “a mock”. Such an occurrence is regarded as the forerunner of some piece of misfortune.