Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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About this entry:
First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1734-1888, 1939-1951
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SOCK, n.1 Also soke, sok (Sc. 1896 A. Cheviot Proverbs 301). A ploughshare (n., s.Sc. 1808 Jam.; Cai. 1904 E.D.D., Abd. 1910; Per., Fif., Lth. 1915–26 Wilson). Gen.Sc. Also in n. Eng. agric. usage. [sok]Ork. 1734 P. Ork. A.S. (1923) 65:
Six Coulters and one Sock, and two Culters and four Socks.Sc. 1762 A. Dickson Treatise Agric. 147:
This part of the plough is of one piece with the soke and is called the plough-share.m.Lth. 1793 G. Robertson Agric. M. Lth. 89:
The culter is removed altogether, its office being performed by a feather projecting ten or twelve inches upward from the land side of the sock.Dmf. 1812 W. Singer Agric. Dmf. 127:
At a period not very remote there was hardly any plough in the country, except what is called the Scots plough, made of wood, and long pointed sock.Sc. 1822 Scott Pirate xv.:
The sock, and the heel, and the sole-clout of a real steady Scottish pleugh.Slk. a.1835 Hogg Tales (1837) III. 173:
To be married is nothing; a light soke is easily worn, and a light yoke is easily borne.Bwk. 1856 G. Henderson Pop. Rhymes 70:
Where the scythe cuts, and the sock rives.Lnk. 1888 R. Young Love at Plough 28:
You want yer sock an' coulter baith relaid.Fif. 1939 St Andrews Cit. (11 Feb.) 4:
Look at the sock; the feather is no high enough for that land.Abd. 1951 Buchan Observer (20 Feb.):
The sock was still the share or sock, and it bore its fedder, or feather.
Phr. and combs.: 1. sock and s(c)ythe, ploughing and reaping; 2. sock-mandrill, a cast of a plough-head, used for making a new share (Rxb. 1825 Jam.); †3. sock-neb, the point of the ploughshare (Per. 1904 E.D.D.); 4. sock-plate, see quot.; 5. sock-sided furrow, a furrow cut by too narrow a sock and hence lying too upright (Fif. 1971); 6. sock-spade, a spade for taking stones which obstruct the progress of the sock out of ploughed land (Fif., Lth., wm.Sc. 1971).1. Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 26:
I was fit for baith sock and sythe; rid han'd, nae wark cam wrang to me.3. Knr. 1886 H. Haliburton Horace 85:
What's wantit wi' the sock-neb here?4. Sc. 1844 H. Stephens Bk. Farm I. 415:
The share is always formed from a plate forged for the express purpose at the iron-mills, and known in the trade by the term sock-plate.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xxvii.:
As though the smith had scaum't it wi' that reid-het sock plate.5. Fif. 1939 St Andrews Citizen (11 Feb.) 4:
If his irons were a wee bit wider, it would tak' awa' the sock-sided furrow.
