Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a Northcountry seaman, esp. a crewman of a collier.

1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (2nd, 3rd edn) n.p.: Jock, or Crowdy-Headed Jock. A jeering appellation for a north country seaman, particularly a collier; Jock being a common name, and crowdy the chief food, of the lower order of the people in Northumberland.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.

2. (also Jockey, Jockie, Jocky) a generic term for a Scotsman.

1513		Skelton Agaynst The Scottes 91: King Jamy, Jemmy, Jocky my jo.
c.1580		Polwart Invectiues Capitane Allexander Montgomeree and Pollvart in Parkinson (Poems) (2000) IX line 58: Iok Blunt, thrawin frunt, kis the cunt of ane kow.
1599		Nashe Praise of the Red Herring 35: The Scotish Iockies or Redshanks (so surnamed of their immoderate raunching vp the red shanks or red herrings).
1609		R. Jones ‘On a Time’ in Wardroper (1969) 5: On a time in summer season / Jocky late with Jenny walking.
1648		A. Brome ‘The Red-coats Triumph’ in Ebsworth Merry Drollery Compleat (1875) 264: Thus on our Equals and Superiours we trample, / And Jockie our stirrop shall hold.
1657		‘The Brewers Praise’ in Ebsworth Merry Drollery Compleat (1875) 223: Poor Jockie and his basket hilt / Was beaten.
1658		Mennis & Smith ‘The Scots Arrears’ Wit Restor’d (1817) 315: If Jockey after this Reneaginge hath forgott From antient sires hee much retires And showns himselfe no Scott.
a.1661		‘A Medley’ Rump Poems and Songs (1662) I 253: If Beuk won’t do’t, then Jockie shoot, / The Kirk of Scotland doth command.
1670		J. Ray Proverbs 261: All fellows, Jock and the Laird.
1676		in D’Urfey ‘An Excellent New Play-house Song’ in Ebsworth Roxburghe Ballads (1891) VII:2 302: The bonny grey-ey’d Morn began to peep, / When Jockey rous’d with Love cam blithely on.
c.1680		‘The Scotch Lasses Choice’ [ballad] When Ise was lying in dying condition, / Jockey wou’d still be my best Physician; / Though the Doctor ne’r cou’d please me, / He had a Doze wou’d ease me.
1691		‘The Scotch War’ in Ebsworth Merry Drollery Compleat (1875) 93: For Iockie did never so shine, / And Iinny was never so fine.
1700		‘The Bashful Scot’ in Playford Pills to Purge Melancholy II 90: Jocky late with Jenny Walking [,...] Like a Lout with his Love sat talking.
c.1707		‘The Scotch Wedding’ in Farmer Merry Songs and Ballads (1897) II 139: Ah Jenny sen ater me, wit ta ha Jockey to thy wadded Loon.
1719		in D’Urfey Pills to Purge Melancholy II 97: But Jockey with his Cattle, and pamper’d bags of Coyn, / Oft gave poor Jemmy Battle.
1725		N. Ward Amorous Bugbears 11: The Sawnies and Jockies of North-Britain, would have swore, by the Complexion of his Masque [...] that he had fed on nothing but Bonny-clapper.
c.1733		in Farmer Merry Songs and Ballads (1897) V 203: [song title] My Jocky Blyth.
1781		in Bullfinch 108: Blithe Jockey’s looks her heart did move, / [...] / ‘Gang down the burn, my gentle love’.
c.1801		‘All the World at Paris’ in Holloway & Black (1979) II 243: Jockies, Jews and parlezvous.
1822		(con. early 17C) W. Scott Fortunes of Nigel I 40: Jockey [...] a name which at that time was used, as Sawney now is, for a general appellative of the Scottish nation.
1841		Laird of Logan 24: And what great house is there, where there is not a Jock to turn the spit!
1856		J. Strang Glasgow and Its Clubs 281: All the loose boys and elder blackguardianism of the town were attracted thither, to play tricks on what were designated the country ‘Jocks and Jennies’.
1867		W.H. Smyth Sailor’s Word-Bk (1991) 413: Jocks. Scotch seamen.
1880		Henley & Stevenson Deacon Brodie I tab.II i: Jock runs east, and Sawney cuts west; everything’s at a deadlock.
1896		Regiment 15 Aug. 300/1: In an authoritative voice he demanded the meaning of such reckless conduct, and branded Jock [i.e. ‘a man, named Macphee’] as a fool. ‘I’m no sic’ a fule as you think,’ retorted Jock.
1898		Edinburgh Eve. News 22 Mar. 4/4: So far we have lost only three men [...] and none of the ‘Jocks’ as yet.
1902		‘Banjo’ Paterson ‘Jock’ Rio Grande’s Last Race (1904) 175: Yes, it’s Jock — Scotch Jock. / He’s the fellow that can give or take a knock.
1917		W. Muir Observations of Orderly 83: All Scots are ‘Jocks’ in the army.
1918		E.G. Dodd diary 10 Aug. 🌐 The Jocks went over and never seen any Jerries over there.
1929		(con. 1916) F. Manning Her Privates We (1986) 3: I left this bottle full of whiskey [...] but those bloody Jocks must have smelt it.
1930		(con. 1914–18) Brophy & Partridge Songs and Sl. of the British Soldier 33: Jock.—A Scottish soldier.
1941		G. Kersh They Die with Their Boots Clean 4: The Jocks it was, screaming like madmen.
1954		J. Phelan Tramp at Anchor 191: She was the wife of an officer in the Highland Light Infantry — the Jocks were stationed in Parkhurst Barracks.
1963		C. Rohan Down by the Dockside 127: The Scots were called Big Jock and Wee Jock.
1973		B.S. Johnson All Bull 257: David, a quiet stylish boy [...] who’d been to a Scottish public school but who was no Jock and didn’t sound like one.
1988		Beano Comic Library Special No. 12 2: Every week meet the Jocks and the Geordies.
1998		I. Welsh Filth 177: C’mon mate, you’re a Jock, we’re from Liverpool, we’re just the friggin’ same.
2005		B. Hare Urban Grimshaw 111: Rabbie was a Jock, you know, for the sake of auld lang syne.

3. as a term of address to a Scot.

1888–94		‘Walter’ My Secret Life (1966) VI 1270: Coom and tak a wak we me Jock.
1927		(con. WW1) P. MacDonald Patrol 15: ‘That’s all right, Jock,’ he said. MacKay was privileged.
1937		Jennings & Madge May the Twelfth: Mass-Observation Day-Surveys 2:103: A soldier, drunk, of a Scottish regiment, is serenading a policeman, to the amusement of the crowd. A woman: ‘Jock, you go off, you’ll be getting into trouble.’.
1946		D. Hill ‘Chalky’ in Lehmann Penguin New Writing No. 28 171: Give him a shake, Jock.
1962		A. Wesker Chips with Everything II vi: pip: Don’t be a bastard Jock. andrew: I’m trying to help you, idiot.
1978		A. Burgess 1985 (1980) 155: ‘Ach, yon thieveless, sook-the-blood’ [...] ‘You watch your tongue, Jock.
1974		‘P.B. Yuill’ Hazell Plays Solomon (1976) 61: I don’t give a monkey’s fuck what you do, Jock.
1980		J. McClure Spike Island (1981) 295: ‘A’right, Jock!’ says the little Scotsman.
1994		I. Welsh ‘The Shooter’ in Acid House 1: You see how it is, Jock?