cock n.1
a euph. for God.
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Tale of the Basyn (1836) xxiv: The gode man seid to sir John be cocks swete wounde Thu shalle lese thine harnesse or a c pounde. | |
 | Parson’s Prologue line 29: Telle us a tale anon, for cokkes bones! | |
| Mankind line 390: By cokkys body sakyrde I haue such a peyn in my arme. | |
| Bowge of Courte line 287: He frowned as he wolde swere by Cockes blode. | |
| Hickscorner A iii: Kockes passyon my noble is tourned to a stone. [Ibid.] A iv: Cockes body herke he is in a shyppe on the see. [Ibid.] B i: By kockes herte he shall dye on this dager. [Ibid.] Civ: Kockes deth whom haue we here. | |
| Magnyfycence line 572: Cockes woundes! [Ibid.] line 1094: Cockys armys! This is a warke, I trowe. [Ibid.] line 2244: By Cockys bonys, it is the same. | |
| Gentleness and Nobility line 924: Nay, by cokkys body, I use no sych lyfe, For I am content wyth blak Maud my wyfe. | |
| Rede me and be nott wrothe (1895) 41: Cockes bonnes this is rancke heresy. | |
| A Merry Play in Farmer Dramatic Writings (1905) 68: Yes, by Cock’s blood, that shall I do. [Ibid.] 69: Therefore I shall beat her by Cock’s mother [...] And I shall beat her, by Cock’s bones. [Ibid.] 71: By Cock’s soul, now, I dare lay a swan. [Ibid.] 72: By Cock’s lylly woundis, that same she is. [Ibid.] 88: Thou shalt repent, by Cock’s lylly nail. | |
![[Scot]](/static/img/flags/sco.png "Scotland") | Satyre of Thrie Estaits I xii: Aisay, Koks-bons! how cam I heir? [Ibid.] III vii: War I ane king, Sir, be cock passioun I fould gar mak ane proclamatioun. | |
| Disobedient Child Fi: By coxe bones I wyll make thy skyn rattell. | |
| Ralph Roister Doister I iii: By Cock, and well sewed, my good Tibet Talkapace. [Ibid.] III iv: By Cock’s precious potstick! | |
| Interlude of Youth line 545: Now have at it, by Cock’s bones, And soon let us go. | |
| Jacke Juggler Aii: By cokes potstike, I wyll not home this night Quoth he. [Ibid.] Di: Cockes bodie yonder she standeth at the dore. | |
| Bk of Simples fol. 28: What a sweete heauen is this? Haue at all, kockes woundes, blood and nayles, caste the house out at the window, and let the Diuell pay the Malte man. | |
| Damon and Pithias (1571) Biiii: Master, iest no more with women in any wise, If you do, by cocke you are lyke to know the price. | |
| Trial of Treasure B: Cockes soule: what bragging knaues haue we here. [...] Cockes precious soule, let us conquer the knaue. | |
| Appius and Virginia in (1908) 12: I’ll fry you in a faggot-stick, by Cock, goodman lout! | |
| Tyde taryeth no Man in (1863) II 25: Cocks passion, man! hye thee away. | |
| Taming of the Shrew IV i: Cock’s passion, silence! | |
| Survey of London (2005) 195: There was a clattering of pewter-pots, harp, pipe, and swatrfy, yea by cock, nay by cock, for greater oaths were spared. | |
| Two Angry Women of Abington C: If I catch her in my walke now by Cockes-bones, Ile scratch out both her eyes. | |
| Hamlet IV v: Young men will do’t if they come to’t; By Cock they are to blame. | |
| Tale of a Tub III i: Cock’s bodikins, we must not lose John Clay. [Ibid.] IV v: Cock’s precious, master, you are not mad indeed. | |
| (trans.) Gargantua and Pantagruel (1927) I Bk I 48: Cocksbod, said the steward, we have met with a prater. [Ibid.] 139: By cock’s death, he is a goblin or a devil thus disguised. [Ibid.] 302: By cock’s body, if I find you to lie so much as in one word, I will make you shorter by the head. | |
| ‘Epigrams’ Musarum Deliciae (1817) 31: Husband (said she) I swear by cock [...] The dev’ll himselfe can’t keep that lock / Which every key can open. | |
| Sackfull of Newes in (1898) 11: Cocks body, said the woman, you will burn the pan. | |
| Madam Fickle V ii: Howl! by Coxnowns you’ll howl too, if you stay longer. | |
| Match in Newgate IV i: By Cocks bones shall she, and be very merrie, to think she’s like to have so brisk a Spark to her Bed-fellow. | |
| (trans.) Plautus’s Comedies Pref. a3: By Cocks-nowns, I’ll hang y’ up in an instant. | |
| ‘Combat btwn More of More Hall, and the Dragon of Wantley’ in Pills to Purge Melancholy I 5: By Cock, quoth he. | |
| in Pills to Purge Melancholy III 14: By Cock, quoth he. | |
| Gloss. (1888) I 172: cock. A vulgar corruption, or purposed disguise, of the name of God, in favour of pious ears, which in early times were not yet used to the profanation of it. Hence, by cock, by cock and pie, and such softened oaths. We find also cocks-passion, cocks-body, and other allusions to the Saviour, or his body, as supposed to exist in the Host; and when that belief was discarded, the expression still remained in use. | |
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | Public Burning (1979) 410: ‘Cock’s body,’ swore Uncle Sam. |
In exclamations
a mild euph. oath; usu. as by cock and pie!
| Misogonus in (1906) IV i: By cock and pie! I dissuaded him to send ’Turgus for you. | |
| Soliman and Perseda B3: By Cocke and Pie, and Mouse foote, The Englishman is a fine Knight. | |
| Two Angry Women of Abington D: Hee’l [...] say hey my hearts, Merry go sony cocke and pye, my heartes. | |
| Wily Beguiled 70: Now, by cocke and pie, you never spoke a truer word in your life, hees a very kind gentleman. | |
| Hey for Honesty IV iii: Well, sir, you may abuse me; but by cock and pie (God forgive me that I should swear), were I as young as I have been—. | |
| (con. early 17C) Fortunes of Nigel III 14: By cock and pie [...] did it depend on me, the murdering cut-throat should hang as high as ever Haman did. | |
| Newcomes I 119: By cock and pye, it is not worth a bender. | |
| Devizes & Wilts. Gaz. 23 Feb. 4/2: Shawllow swore ‘by cock and pie’. | |
| Newcastle Courant 13 July 2/2: The ancient Catholic oath was to swear by ‘Cock and Pie’. |