Cock of the North
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
George, fifth Duke of Gordon (1770-1836), who raised the Gordon Highlanders in 1795, is so called on a monu- ment erected to his honour at Fochabers, in Morayshire.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Cock of the North” mean?
George, fifth Duke of Gordon (1770-1836), who raised the Gordon Highlanders in 1795, is so called on a monu- ment erected to his honour at Fochabers, in Morayshire.
Is “Cock of the North” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.