Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1827-1932, 1989-1995
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,1,1]
GAWKIT, adj. Also †gawket, gaakit, †gau(c)kit. Stupid, foolish, clumsy (Sc. 1808 Jam., gau(c)kit; Sh., Abd., Mearns, Ags., Slg., Fif., Peb., Lnk., Ayr., Wgt., Dmf. 1954). [′gǫ:kət, ′gɑ:k-]Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 14:
Pickin' out pithfu' texts and strang, Wharewi' Crail's gaukit priest he dang.Abd. 1891 J. Ogg Glints 92:
An', frien's, be we commonplace, gawket, or gifted. . . .Ayr. 1910 Poets Ayr. (Macintosh) 102:
And the warld is cauld and the pleasures in't Are werch and fushionless, gawkit and tame.Abd. 1932 D. Campbell Bamboozled 56:
Gi'e owre crawin', ye gawkit bantam!Edb. 1989 Gordon Legge The Shoe 70:
'Designer scruff is relaxed and contemplative, you're lazy and gawkit. Dirt is never trendy, muchacho.' wm.Sc. 1995 Alan Warner Morvern Callar 103:
I reckon Creeping Jesus got sick of his gawkit face, fibbing and clipeing and burglarising with his thieving hands; I hated him he was a total perv.
Hence gawketness, stupidity, awkwardness (Abd., Ags., Peb., Ayr. 1954) = Eng. gawkiness.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xxxviii.:
He's been aye a naisty lowlif't kin' o' a slype, wi' a' 's fader's gawketness, an' a gey gweed share o' 's mither's greed.