in the Robbie Burns poem..What’s the meaning of the term: "c0ck up your beaver"?
no – I’m not being rude..
this is an actual poem by the Scottish bard – presumably not a bawdy reference – twas recited last night at a Robbie Burns Day event I attended..
Johnie lad, C0ck up your Beaver
WHEN first my brave Johnie lad came to this town,
He had a blue bonnet that wanted the crown;
But now he has gotten a hat and a feather,
Hey, brave Johnie lad, c0ck up your beaver!
C0ck up your beaver, and c0ck it fu’ sprush,
We’ll over the border, and gie them a brush;
There’s somebody there we’ll teach better behaviour,
Hey, brave Johnie lad, c0ck up your beaver!
- Robert Burns..
(outrageously – the Yahoo censor robot won’t even let me spell the word c-o-c-k..! hence the need to spell it c0ck)
http://www.robertburns.org/works/333.shtml
Hey, brave Johnie lad, c0ck up your beaver! (raise up your hat – beaver is hat)
C0ck up your beaver, and c0ck it fu’ sprush, (sprush is spruce. "full smart" as in "spruce it up" look sharp)
We’ll over the border, and gie them a brush; (gie is give)
The first stanza is a traditional English ballad mocking Scots and the second is Burns)
Not the answer you were probably hopng for, but the beaver was a hat.
References :
Hey, brave Johnie lad, c0ck up your beaver! (raise up your hat – beaver is hat)
C0ck up your beaver, and c0ck it fu’ sprush, (sprush is spruce. "full smart" as in "spruce it up" look sharp)
We’ll over the border, and gie them a brush; (gie is give)
The first stanza is a traditional English ballad mocking Scots and the second is Burns)
References :
The Complete Works of Robert Burns Part Four –
by Robert Burns – 2004 -
Page 58