Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
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.
COCKIE LEEKIE, Cock-a-leekie, Cockileeky, n. comb. Also cocky-leaky (Sc. 1776 E. Topham Letters 158). Soup, made gen. of a fowl boiled with leeks. Other vegetables may be added. The term is now in gen. use in Eng. [′kɔkɪ′liki, ′kɔka′liki]Bnff. 1905 A. I. Shand Days of the Past vi.:
You began with cock-a-leekie, hotchpotch, or the barley broth of which Dr Johnson declared he cared not how soon he ate of it again.Per. 1737 Ochtertyre House Booke of Accomps (1907) 6:
19 Jan.: Dinner cockie leekie fowlls in it.s.Sc. c.1830 T. Wilkie in Proc. Bwk. Nat. Club (1916) 111:
The fastrense'en supper is cockilecky.
