spatchcock
verbEtymology
The noun is probably derived from one of the following: * A variant of spitchcock (“eel split lengthwise and broiled”). from Middle English spiche-coke, The further etymology is uncertain; the following possibilities have been suggested: ** From Middle English *speche, *spiche (“to split”) + cock, coken (“to allow (something) to cook; to cook”). ** From spik (“animal fat, especially lard”), spik, spike (“large nail; pointed stud”), or spit, spite (“rod for cooking meat, spit; pointed object”); + cok (“male of the common domestic fowl, cock, rooster”). * From Irish spot (“spot”) or spochta (the past participle of spoch (“to cut, clip”)) + coc (“male of the common domestic fowl, cock, rooster”). A derivation from (di)spatch (“to dispose of speedily; to make a speedy end of”) + cock is now thought to be unlikely. In a few texts from the 1400s–1700s the form smatchcock is found, possibly an error or an alteration under the influence of smatch (“a taste, a flavor”). The verb is derived from the noun.
Cooking, Food, Lifestyle To cut (poultry) along the spine and spread the halves apart for more even cooking.
- For the party, he spatchcocked and grilled some chickens.
- Katniss [Everdeen] emerges alone, smeared in blood and muck and gnawing on the charred remains of a spatchcocked squirrel.2014 November 11, Robbie Collin, “The Hunger Games: Review”, in The Daily Telegraph, London: Telegraph Media Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 26 May 2022:
Figuratively Often followed by in or into: to interpolate or insert (something into another thing) awkwardly; to sandwich (something within another thing).
- I, therefore, spatchcocked into the middle of that telegram a sentence in which I suggested it would be necessary to surrender the garrison, what he should do when he surrendered, and how he should do it.1901 October 11, Redvers Buller, quotee, “Sir R. Buller and his critics”, in The Times, number 36,583, London: George Edward Wright, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 10, column 2:
- Why is the underplot of King Lear in which Edmund figures lifted out of [Philip] Sidney's Arcadia and spatchcocked on to a Celtic legend older than history?1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 9: Scylla and Charybdis]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], →OCLC, part II [Odyssey], page 203:
2 more examples
- Instead of introducing a separate bill on the alternative vote referendum, which would have been supported by Labour in a vote through parliament, the government has spatchcocked it together with the most blatant gerrymander of parliamentary constituency boundaries since the days of the rotten boroughs.2010 July 28, Peter Hain, “Tories sandbagged Clegg on electoral reform”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
- We would have had to spatchcock together whatever coalition we could, but it was profoundly difficult, […]2010 August 18, Alexandra Topping, quoting Jack Straw, “Lib Dems should be able to veto coalition policies, says Simon Hughes”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 21 Sep 2020:
- Derived terms
- spatchcocked, spatchcocking
- Hypernyms
- butterfly