† cockalane Sc. Obs.
Also -an, -and.
[a. F. coq-à-l'âne ‘a libell, pasquin, satyre’ (Cotgr.), ‘an incoherent story, passing from one subject to another’: see Littré, and cf. cock-and-bull.]
1. ‘A comic or ludicrous representation’ (Jam.); a satire, lampoon.
| 1605 Ayr Session Rec. 25 Feb., Ony ryme or cokalane. 1609 Act Jas. VI, c. 9 By their pasquils, lybels, rymes, cockalans, comedies..they slander, maligne and revile the people, estate, and country of England. 1610 J. Melvill Diary 781 Spreideris of cokalandis sould be banischit. |
2. A disconnected story, discourse, etc.
| c 1650 Sir J. Wishart Let. in Spottiswoode's Mem. (1811) 50 (Jam.) Excuse the rather cockaland then letter from him who carethe not howe disformall his penn's expression be. 1676 G. Etherege Man of Mode (Jam.), What a Coc à l'Asne is this? I talk of women, and thou answerest Tennis. |