[f. prec.]
1. trans. To cook as, or in the manner of, a spatchcock. Hence Spatchcocked ppl. a.
1865. Pall Mall Gaz., 2 Aug., 3/2. Those who have never eaten spatchcocked grouse can hardly be said to know the real flavour of the bird.
1879. Mrs. A. E. James, Ind. Househ. Managem., 34. You sit down … to your fowl—spatch-cocked of course, that being the natives’ favourite way of dressing the tempting dish.
1890. Queen, 11 Jan., 68/3. To split a fowl in two and serve one half à la Marengo, and the other half the next day either spatchcocked with mushrooms, or in any other approved fashion.
2. To insert, interpolate or sandwich (a phrase, sentence, etc.). Const. in or into.
1901. Gen. Buller, in Times, 11 Oct., 10/2. I therefore spatchcocked into the middle of that telegram a sentence in which [etc.].
1901. Daily Chron., 18 Oct., 3/4. Such indifferent performances as ‘Catriona’—indifferent in spite of the fine short story ‘spatchcock’d’ into it.
1903. Mahaffy, in Cal. St. P., Irel., Introd. 12. We read phrases of apparent sincere religious fervour spatchcocked in between these bloodthirsty expressions.
b. To add to, or modify, by interpolation.
1901. Daily Chron., 24 Oct., 5/6. They knew of the spatchcocked telegram then.
1901. Speaker, 16 Nov., 190/1. Generals spatchcock telegrams and receive dismissal.
