Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1818-1897, 1949-1988
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MOCK, v., n. Sc. usages:
I. v. 1. Phr. to mock on, to mock (at) (Inv. 1890 Highland News (18 Oct.) 2).
2. Derivs.: (1) mocker, the whitethroat, Sylvia communis, because of its habit of imitating the calls of other birds (Ayr. 1929 Paton & Pike Birds Ayr. 65); (2) mockrife, -riff, mokriffe, scornful, mocking (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.); (3) mocksome, given to mimicry (Ork. 1963).(2) Cld. 1818 Scots Mag. (Oct.) 327:
Loud leuch the elf wi' mockrife glee.Sc. 1839 Chambers's Jnl. (10 Aug.) 232:
"Five-an'-twenty puffs o' tobacco-reek!" quo' the auld mockrife carle.Edb. 1873 A. Wanless Poems 85:
And in my lugs unearthly sounds And mockriff laughs he shouted.Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 41:
Reid een gleanin
bushels o bumbazement frae his past, frae the mockrife faces
lauchin aroon him.(3) Ork.1 1949:
Sanday folk are mocksome.
II. n. As in Eng., derision, scorn, something to be scorned or derided. Specif.: the very small egg which a hen occasionally lays (w.Lth., Rxb. 1963).Wgt. 1897 Proc. British Assoc. V. 471:
The small egg a hen sometimes lays bears the names of a "nocht" and "a mock". Such an occurrence is regarded as the forerunner of some piece of misfortune.
