Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1897-1917
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CAVIE (-DAVIE), Kevy, n.3 [′ke:vi (′de:vi)]
1. (See second quot.) Known to Fif.10 1939; Slg.3 c.1870 (for Edb.), c.1910 (for Slg.); Rxb.2 1916, cavie.Fif. 1897 "G. Setoun" George Malcolm viii.:
Adam himself at a game of "Kevy" chose George.Fif. 1916 T.S.D.C. II. 17:
Cavie-davie. Name of a boys' game, similar to Prisoners' Base. The prisoners were called stinks, and stinkies [q.v.]. Some have seen in the term cavie-davie a reminiscence of the captive King David, the unfortunate son of the great Robert Bruce.Rxb. 1917 in Southern Reporter (24 May) 3/2:
In the playground the twin Oaks, which furnished such convenient "dens" in the game of "Cavie," still rear their giant forms.
2. "The prison in the game of prisoner's base" (Ags.1 1935).
[Phs. of same origin as Cave, n.1, i.e. O.Sc. cave, dungeon. The combined form cavie-davie, however, may have been influenced by Lat. cave, beware.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Cavie n.3". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 20 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/cavie_davie>
