Hi Greg,

I think 'ruck' used in the context you mention is rare, even in Mid-Cheshire.
I remember being in a Middlewich pub (the Kings Arms to be precise)back in the 1970s and hearing a customer ask for 'a whiskey, with a ruck of ice, please'.
The barmaid (sorry, drinks dispenser) was completely nonplussed and so was I. Neither of us had ever heard the word before (and we had both lived in the town all our lives).
The customer in question got rather shirty when we asked him about the word, and seemed to be under the impression that 'ruck', meaning 'a lot', was common coinage.
Mind you, the same chap used to talk about buying 'a set' of shoes rather than 'a pair'.
I know none of this helps at all, but I thought I'd share it with you.

Regards,

Dave Roberts
Salt Town Poets