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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

CLAIK, Claick, Claek, Clake, Clyauk, Clyaak, Klaik, Kllauck, n.¹, v.¹ Also cleg. Cf. Clack, n.¹ and v., and Cleck. [klek Sc., Bnff., Abd. + kljɑ:k]

I. n.

1. The shrill or raucous sound made by a bird; “the noise made by a hen” (Sc. 1808 Jam.). Known to Bnff.², Abd.², Ags.¹⁷ 1940.Abd.(D) 1932 R. L. Cassie Scots Sangs 47:
The sparrows, though, are haudin' a gey clyauk aboot the easins o' the thackit hoosies.

2. “An idle or false report” (Sc. 1808 Jam.); “idle, silly gossip” (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 96, kllauck; Abd.⁴ 1930, clyaak); gossip in gen.; chatter; sometimes used in pl. Known to Bnff.², Abd. and Fif. correspondents 1940, and to Ags.² 1940 in pl. only.Bnff. 1853 Meg and Geordie in Bnffsh. Jnl. (3 May):
Sae Maggie caresna for our claiks, She's caught in love's amazing glaiks.Abd.(D) 1917 C. Murray Sough o' War (1918) 24:
Ye hard the claik hoo Germany gied France the coordy lick.Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 37:
Tis the local claik an the pipin that draws me back tae the Games-ma sodjerin, fechtin days are ower.m.Sc. 1986 Colin Mackay The Song of the Forest 148:
And so they did, though many a doubting neck was turned in all the claik and blether of it back to the village ... Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto Tammas Bodkin vi.:
He sat on the board . . . tellin' us a' the claiks o' the kintra side, an' something mair.Edb. 1922 P. Macgillivray Bog Myrtle and Peat Reek 34:
And she was left to stan' or fa' — To ken the claik an' fit the ba' — Och, Och!

3. A gossip, tattler (esp. of women) (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 96, kllauck; Abd. 1825 Jam.²); “a tell-tale” (c.Per. 1909 “Scotus” in Scotsman (10 May)). Also dim. claikie. Known to Bnff.², Abd., Ags. and Fif. correspondents 1940.Abd. 1992 David Toulmin Collected Short Stories 14:
Yon second-horseman's wife was a bit of a claik and had abody's character in the district.Mearns 1932 “L. G. Gibbon” Sunset Song ii. 93:
But ten to one when you got up to go home there'd be Mistress Munro or some claik of her kidney, near sniggering herself daft with delight at your shame.Ags. 1940 Mocking Verse (per Ags.¹⁷):
Claikie, claikie, clash-piet, clim's up a tree, Ca's doun aiples, ane, twa, three.

4. A social gathering. Not known to our correspondents.Abd.(D) 1829–1914 W. Robbie Mains of Yonderton (1929) 160:
The merry times 'at I've seen; the lauchin' an' the daffin' at the claiks, an' the hairvest hames.

5. Phr.: to do a claik (to), have a gossip (with).Ags. 1918 J. Inglis The Laird 5:
He never gaes an' does a claik To yer ain auld fouks at hame.

II. v.

1. Of birds: to make a shrill noise; “to make a clucking noise, as a hen does” (Sc. 1808 Jam.). Known to Bnff.² 1940.Abd.(D) 1932 R. L. Cassie Scots Sangs 8:
The ganjin' kaes an' claikin' craws Are reddin' up their hoose.Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 12:
There war ither, aulder chukkens in the gairden bit the littlins, fas wames war still shapit rale like the eggies they'd hatched frae, likit tae claik aboot the life they'd bin drapped intil o a suddenty-fur as yet they waurna sae eesed tae life as nae tae notice it.Per. 1895 R. Ford Tayside Songs 144:
The reivin' craws flee claickin' hame, The birds sing in the dell.

†2. Of things: to resound (with a sharp, clattering noise).Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 44:
Causeys did claik wi' clitter-clatter.

‡3. “To cry incessantly, and impatiently, for any thing . . . often used with respect to the clamorous requests made by children” (Sc. 1808 Jam.). Known to Bnff.⁴, Bnff.⁷, Abd.¹³ 1928. Ppl.adj. claikin'.Mry. 1960 Northern Scot (2 April):
As seen as I ha'e feenished wark I'm trudgin' through the mire, Cleggin' for my supper an' a seat aside the fire.Ags. 1993 Mary McIntosh in Joy Hendry Chapman 74-5 112:
The bairn wis claikin an she made tae gie it aisment.Per. 1895 R. Ford Tayside Songs 74:
An' aye my claikin' heart confess'd, “My bonnie lad, I lo'e but you.”

4. To gossip, tattle, chatter; “to talk idly” (Ork. 1920 J. Firth Reminisc. Ork. Par. (1922) 150; Cai.³ 1931). Known to Bnff.², Abd., Ags. and Fif. correspondents 1940. Often used as ppl.adj.Sc. 1935 I. Bennet Fishermen ii.:
Stop claekin'; this is a curin' yard, nae a pulpit!Ork.(D) 1880 Dennison Orcad. Sk. Bk. 101:
For I wad leever th'u wad fell me Or [than] claik whin du his ought tae tell me.Bnff. 1917 J. Mitchell in Bnffsh. Jnl. (26 June) 3:
As roon a roarin' kitchie fire they clake the country's clack.Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 48:
Ower quate tae takk his tea-brakk in the wee, nippit staffroom at wirk, wi the bourich o kecklin quines frae Bairnswear an Lingerie. He'd hearkened tae them aince, claikin aboot Duncan Simpson frae Sports, as they wytit fur their bus hame o an evenin. Ags. 1879 G. W. Donald Poems, etc. 25:
Clortie, clatterin', claickin' bodie, Does he think I'd be sae sauft?em.Sc. 2000 James Robertson The Fanatic 182:
The whole town was claiking about the Weirs - they had knocked all other news off the street.Edb. 1773 R. Fergusson Sc. Poems (1925) 55:
Or burgher politician, that embrues His tongue in thee, and reads the claiking news.

5. To hatch. Cf. Clack, v., 2, and Cleck, v. (1).Ags. 1906–1911 Rymour Club Misc. I. 176:
Ye may sit till ye claik nineteen like yersel'.

Hence claikin', klaikin, vbl.n., “a setting of eggs; a brood” (Abd.⁹, Fif.¹ 1940). Also in phr.: a doo's klaikin, see Doo, n., 3.Sc. 1931 J. Lorimer Red Sergeant 223:
An' the hail claikin' o' yer whaups amo' the heather'll be cheepin ower the news.