to cry cockles
Preserved but no longer current.
To be hanged; from the gurgling noise made in strangulation. To warm the cockles of one's heart. Said of anything that pleases one immensely and gives one a gratifying sensation, such as does a glass of really good port. (Lat. cochlece cordis, the ventricles of the heart.
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 “to cry cockles” mean?
To be hanged; from the gurgling noise made in strangulation. To warm the cockles of one's heart. Said of anything that pleases one immensely and gives one a gratifying sensation, such as does a glass of really good port. (Lat. cochlece cordis, the ventricles of the heart.
Is “to cry cockles” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.