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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.

CLECK, Kleck, Cleik, Cleak, v.² and n. See also Claik, n.¹, v.¹, Clack, n.¹ and v., and Clock' n.¹ and v. The forms cleik and cleak are doubtful, but the sense in the respective quots. points to an association with this word rather than with Cleek, v.¹ [klɛk]

1. v.

(1) To hatch, litter, bring forth young. Used gen. of rabbits, cats, etc., less frequently of hens and ducks. Hence cleckie, “prolific” (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 25). Transferred also to human beings, gen. in pa.p. cleckit = born. Also found in n.Eng. dial. (E.D.D.).Sc. 1912 A.O.W.B. Fables frae the French 26:
I ettle to buy five-score eggs wi' the price; I'se get them a' cleckit, syne nae doot I'll see Four score o' wee chookies.Abd. 1865 G. Macdonald Alec Forbes I. xxxii.:
“Curly, wha has ony rabbits to sell?” “Doddles's cleckit aboot a month ago.”Ags. 1833 J. S. Sands Poems 89:
The pelican o' the wilderness, That clecks ance in a thousand years.Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch (1839) xii.:
I never got such a fright since the day I was cleckit.Ayr. 1821 Galt Ann. Parish xiii.:
Some thought . . . it was the natural way for such like ducks to cleck their young.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.:
The cat's cleckit.

Ppl.adj. cleakit, in adj. comb. ill-cleakit, “misbegotten” (Edb.³ 1929).Ags. 1891 J. M. Barrie Little Minister (2nd ed.) xxxviii.:
It's that ill-cleakit witch, Effie McBean.

(2) fig. To invent; conceive (Lnk.³ 1937).Sc. 1824 Scott St Ronan's W. II. i.:
I have cleikit a particular fancy to this lad.Ayr. publ. 1892 H. Ainslie Pilgrimage, etc., and Poems 243:
He's cleckit a plan to break up the clan.

(3) To gossip, talk loudly and idly. Not known to our correspondents.Sc. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Shepherd Act II. Sc. i. in Poems (1728):
Ah! Symie, ratling Chiels ne'er stand To cleck and spread the grossest Lies aff hand.Edb. 1915 T. W. Paterson Auld Saws 122:
An', as I jaloos't, Caum'ell's never appear't; Na, na! 'twas eneuch that he'd kleckit aboot it.Rnf. 1815 W. Finlayson Simple Rhymes 109:
Auld teethless wives when ye forgether, At ither's doors to cleck an' blether.

Hence cleckin', (a) ppl.adj. loquacious; (b) vbl.n. noisy, animated talking (Kcb.¹ 1937).(a) Kcb. 1894 S. R. Crockett Raiders xxxii.:
Na, an auld cleckin' wife canna look for ocht else at this time o' day.(a) Ib. xxi.:
What's a' that cleckin' aboot? Am I to wait a' day for you to licht my fire, Sammle Tamson?

2. n. Pert chatter, idle talk, insolence (Arg.¹, Kcb.⁹ 1937).m.Sc. 1997 Tom Watson Dark Whistle 54:
His lineage hings
Aff breist-bane rid,
His neb an' claws
Wi' ran-dan bluid aye clagged,
Yet wi' rumgumption
Tholes yon coinage o'
Bad cess, the cleck
Ablow.wm.Sc. [1835–37] Laird of Logan (1868) 172:
Sin' ye hae set my birse up, I'll stop your cleck.wm.Sc. 1989 Anna Blair The Goose Girl of Eriska 125:
She had frozen then, with fear of discovery, but he had not seen her and, knowing that he would be cheering up his wife's quiet evening with cleck of the town's ongoings, Sara gave the winnowing a further ten minutes.Ayr. 1875 A. L. Orr Poems 20:
Oh, bairns! my very heart is like to break Wi' stan'in' aye sae muckle o' his cleck.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.:
Gie's nae mair o' eer cleck, ye yip!