all on one side like Lord Thomond’s cocks, phr.

all on one side like Lord Thomond’s cocks phr.

also ...Lord Lomond’s cocks

[18C anecdote of the Irish cock-feeder of Lord Thomond, who foolishly confined a number of his lordship’s cocks, due to fight the next day for a considerable sum, all in the same room. Stereotyped for the story as a stupid Irishman, he supposedly believed that since they were all ‘on the same side’, they would not squabble. He was wrong, and the valuable cocks destroyed each other. A version of the story, though without specifying Ormond and offering 'born and bred in the same House' for ‘on the same side’ appears in Teagueland Jests, or, Bog-Witticisms (1690) ]

used of a group of people who appear to be united; the inference being that in time they are in fact, more likely to quarrel.

1717		An argument proving that the design of employing and enobling foreigners, is a treasonable conspiracy 3: I mean Feuds among my Lord Lomond’s Cocks, Divisions among those who are all of a Side.
1747		Free comment on the late Mr. W-g-n's apology 13: All is calm and serene, all is clean and unsullied [...] yet all are like lord Lomond’s cocks.
c.1786		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue ms. additions n.p.: Thomand. Like Lord Thomands Cocks all on one side. Lord Thomands Cock feeder, an Irish man, being intrusted with some Cocks which were matched for a considerable sum, the night before the Battle shut them all together in one room, concluding that as they were all on one side they would not disagree. The consequence was they were all either killed or lamed before the morning.
1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (3rd edn).
1801		‘Modern Dict.’ in Sporting Mag. May XVIII.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1868		Sportsman 20 June 4/2: Notes on News [...] [T]hey can keep the two M.P.s out of one and the same lobby, lest, like the cocks in one basket, though ‘fighting on the same side,’ they should again fall out.