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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

DEUK, DUKE, n. A duck. Also dy(e)uck, deuck, dewk, djeuk; dyook (Dmf. 1894 J. Shaw in Trans. Dmf. and Gall. Antiq. Soc. 146). Dim. deukie, dookie, a little duck; transf. a local nickname for a native of Pittullie, near Fraserburgh (Abd. 1943 W. S. Forsyth Guff o' Waur 30-1). Gen.Sc. For forms with initial j, see Jeuk, n. [djuk Sc., Ork. + døk, m.Sc. + djʌk; døk Bwk., Rxb.]Sc. 1826 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) I. 137:
Turkeys, and dyucks, and patricks, and wee birds.Sc. 1995 David Purves Hert's Bluid 48:
The deuks mumps on the frozen loch;
breistin the snell wund frae the north,
the maws keiks doun frae steive weings
at the deid land o Scotland. Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 37:
An sometimes the speerits wad shak their heeds at aen anither, as gin dey been a flock o deucks.Bnff. 1869 Bnffsh. Jnl. (5 Oct.) 3:
Hech, Wattie, man, wad ye stane the dookies? Mry. 1830 T. D. Lauder Moray Floods 189:
“And how did you feather yourself over?” inquired I. “Troth, Sir, I hae nae feathers,” replied Mrs Cameron very simply; “I'm no a dewk to soom.”Abd. c.1835 J. B. Pratt J. Fleeman (1861) 20:
I've seen the geese and the dyeucks hunners o' times crossin' there.Abd. 1998 Sheena Blackhall The Bonsai Grower 17:
Francie's wife, Beldie,..., aye keepit swack bi chasin' Clashies' dyeuks fin they honkit aff doon the brae an ower the muir ahin the burn. Abd. 2004 Press and Journal 3 May 12:
... tae sit an watch a deuk fuss ower her littlins waddlin back an forrit fae lan an worms tae the water o the loch, a prood drake keepin a watchfu ee at a distance.Mearns 1721 Baron Court Bk. of Urie (S.H.S. 1892) 118:
The killing of hares, doves . . . moor foullis, duke, draick and others therin specifeit are expressly prohibited.m.Sc. 1979 Tom Scott in Joy Hendry Chapman 23-4 (1985) 89:
Close cuisin o the skunk, the strippit brock
pads plat-fuitit, deuck-ersed, near the grund. m.Sc. 1997 Tom Watson Dark Whistle 67:
Big wumman big weans big man a' vamoosed,
Lik' grease, lik' grease, lik' grease aff a djuck. Lnk. 1997 Duncan Glen From Upland Man 6:
And then the kye, easy efter the grumphies. And hens and geese
and the deuks cairtit in style. Gall. 1901 Trotter Gall. Gossip 446:
K — n's shot hut the Provost richt atween the een, an dung him ower, as daze't as a djeuk in a thunnerstorm.Uls. 2002 Belfast News Letter 2 Feb 20:
Apparently nae lang efter tha cake wus spilet thur wus an aul baggarmaun cum lauken fer simthin tae aet sae he gaut tha cake instead o tha deuks aun hens thaut wuda gaut et.

Phr. and Combs.: 1. deuk('s)-dub, duke-, a duck-pond (Fif.¹⁰ 1940; Kcb., Dmf. 1950 (per Fif.¹⁷)); 2. deuk-fittit, splay-footed (Rnf. 1947 (per Abd.²⁷); Ayr.⁹ 1949; Kcb., Dmf. 1950 (per Fif.¹⁷)); 3. duck-foot, lady's mantle, Alchemilla vulgaris; 4. deuk's (duke's) meat, (1) the lesser duckweed, Lemna minor (Sc. 1689 St Germain Royal Physician 59, duke's-); also in Eng. dial.; (2) chickweed, Stellaria media (Ayr.⁹ 1949); (3) mucus that gathers in the corners of the eyes (Id.); also in n.Ir. dial.; 5. to be i' the deuks'-faul, to be in a fix.1. Sc. 1769 D. Herd Sc. Songs 322:
There lay a duck-dub before the door.Sc. 1821 Blackwood's Mag. (Oct.) 308:
I was up to the knees in that necessary receptacle of water, called a duke-dub.Fif. 1723 in D. Cook Ann. Pittenweem 135:
2 May: The street at the west end of the town commonly called the “Duke Dub,” to be filled up.Peb. 1847 R. Chambers Pop. Rhymes 182:
Deuk's dub afore the door — There fell I!3. Bwk. 1845 G. Johnston Botany E. Borders 72:
From the shape of the leaves, the plant has been also called Duck-foot.5. Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 222:
Y'ill see it y'ir i' the deuks'-faul wee nae sellin' yir sheep.