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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

COCKERNONY, COCKERNONNY, Cockernon(n)ie, cock-a-nanny, n. [′kɔkər′nɔnɪ̢ Sc.; ′kɔkər′nonɪ̢ Abd.; ′kɔkɑ′nɑnɪ̢ Uls.]

1. “The gathering of a young woman's hair, when it is wrapt up in a band or fillet, commonly called a snood” (Sc. 1808 Jam.), a high coiffure. (Some of the examples may belong more properly to one of the other sections.) Obs. except hist.Sc. 1718 Ramsay Chr. Kirk III. vii. in Poems (1721):
[She] dung a' her Cockernonny A jee that Day.Abd. 1851 W. Anderson Rhymes, etc. 164:
A manky gown, my Lucky wore — A cockernony, plaitet weel.Lth. [1811] G. Bruce Poems (1813) 65:
Now broken was the bridal bread, Owre the bride's cockernony.Dmf. [1777] J. Mayne Siller Gun (1808) 63:
But, lang ere e'en, her cockernonny Was toozel'd sair.

Phr.: to busk (up) one's cockernonie, see Busk, v., Phrs. (3).

2. A pad of false hair used to give a full appearance to the coiffure. Obs. except hist.Sc. 1824 Scott St Ronan's W. I. xiv.:
I wad sune see if her cockernonnie was made of her ain hair or other folks'.

Hence cockernonied, adj., wearing a “cockernonie.”Hdg. 1892 J. Lumsden Sheep-head and Trotters 51:
An' lasses, sweet! as lads are stoure! — Braw cockernonied leddies! Show faces that wad papists sour.

3. A woman's cap with starched crown. Obs. except hist.Sc. 1819 Scott Bride of Lamm. xii.:
Her mother . . . sat by the fire in the full glory of a grogram gown, lammer beads, and a clean cockernony.Abd.(D) 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xix.:
Gin that didna tak the stiffin' oot o' Kirsty's cockernony, I'se lea'e't.

4. Fig. “A staple with a fancy top to complete the thatching of a stack” (Tyrone, Armagh 1929 (per Uls.²), cock-a-nanny).

†5. “Any thing . . . [or] person, small, neat, and having an old-fashioned air; commonly applied to females” (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 220). Also used attrib. = picturesque, old-fashioned.Ayr. 1830 Galt Lawrie Todd vii. v.:
Forays, moss-troopers, and other cockernony minstrelsy.

6. A small sweet bun, esp. given as a tit-bit to a child. Prob. from its shape. Fif. 1781 St Andrews Baxter Bks. 181: 
Nor give any other Consideration whatever to any person that sells their bread, further than a bitt of bread or a Cockernony to a Child.