Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1773-1779, 1850-1922, 1995-1996
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EEMOCK, n. The ant (Knr.1 1949; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein). Also emmack; eemach; eemack; eemich; emock; eimok; imo(c)k; immick (Sc. 1880 Jam.5; Per. 1902 E.D.D.); emmock (Lth., Rxb. 1825 Jam.2); eemick (Fif., Lth. Wilson); emmick (Per., Fif., Lth., Ib.; Ags.18 1947); eemake, -uck, emmic, -ock (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.); and reduplicative form †imaky-amaky (Slk. 1825 Jam.2). See also Emmerteen. [′imɔk, -ʌk, -ek, -ɑx, -ɪç, ′ɛm-]Edb. 1773 R. Fergusson Poems (1925) 59:
He taught auld Tam to hale the dules, And eidant to row right the bowls Like ony emmack.Lnk. c.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 117:
The imock-powder began to operate.Rnf. 1850 A. McGilvray Poems 123:
The odds from emocks up to whales.m.Sc. 1870 J. Nicholson Idylls 33:
A' 'bout trees, an' ferns, an' mosses, Eemocks, eft-stools, birds an' bees.Lnk. 1902 A. Wardrop Hamely Sk. 32:
Does Professor Drummond really . . . think that mothers ance were Eemicks.e.Lth. 1905 J. Lumsden Croonings 40:
The crouds are a' asteer on ilka knowe, An' scour about like eemacks!
Hence applied to persons of diminutive stature; a fairy, “an imp” (Bch. 1916 T.S.D.C. II., eemach; Abd.2 1943).Ags. 1914 I. Bell Country Clash 21:
Mak' it braw firm, for thae little immicks'll think naething o' tearin't doon.Abd. 1922 J. Wight in Swatches 65:
We'll . . . link it ower the green wi' the fairies, the green-cwitet wee eemachs. [Ib. p. 66, eemich.]Sc. 1995 David Purves Hert's Bluid 18:
Lintie an laiverok, whaup an houdie craw,
foumart an eimok, houlet, pickmaw,
mowdiewart an horniegollach, brok an tod anaw;
sum gait, thai'r littil sib til Inglish beiss ava. Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 24:
Frae a hauf-etten hamburger haived doon aneth the sun, Henry saw a phalanx o emmacks merchin wi Spartan virr ben a pathie as straucht's a Roman roadie, aff tae ane o their colonies jist like the reivin Romans thirsels micht hae daen.
