The name derives from a Robert Burns song, »Cauld Kail in
Aberdeen«. In former times, kail (or, more commonly, curly-leaved
kale) – *Brassica oleracea acephala* –, a form of greenish leaf
cabbage, formed a very important part of the Scottish diet.

In the 1890s, Scottish writers including J. M. Barrie (of *Peter Pan*
fame) and George MacDonald developed the »Kailyard school« of fiction,
depicting a sentimental version of rural Scottish life. A kailyard is
a small cabbage patch, often adjacent to a crofter's cottage.

The dance introduces the formation »set to corners and partner« –
today commonly referred to as »hello-goodbye setting« – and got
connected to it to the degree that the formation used to be known as
»Cauld Kail setting«.