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.
Quotation dates: 1737, 1822-1823, 1898-1988
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CLOCK, Clok, Cloke, Klok, n.2 “The generic name for the different species of beetles” (Sc. 1825 Jam.2); in Bnff. it is applied gen. to “the different species of Water-beetles” (1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 26), in Cai. and Mry. to any black beetle (Cai.1 c.1920; Mry.1 1925), and in Arg. and n.Ant. mostly to the cockroach, Blatta orientalis (Arg.1 1929; n.Ant. 1931 “Ballymoney” in North. Whig (27 Nov.)). Also in dial. use over the greater part of England. [klɔk, klok]Sc. 1737 Medical Essays and Observations IV. 368:
Great Swarms of Insects, of the Clock-kind, that come in Summer.Sh.(D) 1898 “Junda” Echoes from Klingrahool 9:
Fan du a klok or a wiglin wirm Or a trowie buckie's marlet skurm [shell]?Bch. 1943 W. Spence Forsyth Guff o' Waur 37:
The pile grew bigger as the weeks and months grew into years, An hotchin' was wi' gollachs, flechs and clokes.Ags. 1921 V. Jacob Bonnie Joann, etc. 28:
E'en the wasps that bigg their bike An' clocks an' golachs, an' the like O' a' yon vairmin has their use.sm.Sc. 1988 W. A. D. and D. Riach A Galloway Glossary :
clock 1. a black beetleAyr. 1823 Galt R. Gilhaize II. xix.:
An auld bigging, such as our kirk was, a perfect howf of cloks and spiders.
Combs.: (1) clock-bee, a flying beetle whose wings produce a humming sound (n.Sc. 1808 Jam.; Abd.22 1936); see also bum-clock s.v. Bum, v.1, 6; extended in quot. to denote a grumbling, whining person; (2) clockleddy, clok-leddy, the lady-bird, Coccinella septempunctata (Kcb.1 1936).(1) Lnk. 1922 T. S. Cairncross Scot at Hame 65:
Or he'll clout ye there-and-then Like a big, begrut clock-bee.(2) Ags. 1934 H. B. Cruickshank Up Noran Water 17:
Clok-leddy, clok-leddy, Flee awa' hame.Ayr. 1822 Galt Steam-boat xii.:
Gin clockleddies and bumbees, wi' prins in their doups, be science, atweel there's an abundance o' that at the Garden of Plants.
