Scab, subs. (old).—1. A rascal: spec. a constable or sheriff's officer: often jocular. Hence scabby (or scab) = contemptible; beggarly; scabby-sheep = a ne'er-do-weel; scabilonian (see quot. 1600).
1591. Lyly, Endimion, iv. 2. Pages. What are yee, scabs? Watch. The Watch: this the Constable.
1594. Greene, Frier Bacon [Grosart, Works, XIII. 9]. Loue is such a proud scab, that he will never meddle with fooles nor children.
1598. Shakspeare, 2 Hen. IV., iii. 2. Wart, thou art a good scab. Ibid. (1600), Much Ado, iii. 3. Bora. Comrade, I say! Con. Here, man; I am at thy elbow. Bora. Mass, and my elbow itched; I thought there would a scab follow. Ibid. (1601), Twelfth Night, ii. 5. Sir To. Out, scab! Fab. Nay, patience, or we break the sinews of our plot.
1600. Thomas Hill, Cath. Religion [Nares]. With the introduction of the Protestant faith were introduced your galligascones, your scabilonians, your St. Thomas onions, your ruffees, your cuffees, and a thousand such new devised Luciferan trinckets.
1608. Middleton, Trick to Catch the Old One, ii. 1. He? he's a scab to thee.
1630. Taylor, Works, ii. 111. A whore . . . growes pocky proud . . . That such poore scabs as I must net come neere her.
1664. Cotton, Virgil Travestie (1st ed.), 15. A huffing Jack, a plund'ring Tearer, A vap'ring Scab, and a great Swearer.
c. 1696. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Scab, a sorry Wench, or Scoundril-Fellow.
1701. Defoe, True Born Englishman, 1. The Royal Branch, from Pict land did succeed, With troops of Scots, and scabs from North-by-Tweed.
1751. Smollett, Peregrine Pickle, xxi. A lousy, scabby, nasty, scurvy, skulking, lubberly noodle.
1851-61. Mayhew, London Lab., i. 20. He's a regular scab. Ibid., iii. 107. I was the scabby sheep of the family, and I've been punished for it.
1861. Meredith, Evan Harrington, vi. A scabby sixpence?
1900. Kipling, Stalky and Co., 71. You're three beastly scabs.
2. (artisans').—A workman who refuses to join, or continues at work during a strike; a blackleg (q.v.); generally applied to all non-Union men. Fr. flint.
3. (tailors').—A button-hole.
Scabbado, subs. (old).—Syphilis.
1725. Bailey, Erasmus's Colloq. (1900), ii. 23. The new Scabbado.
Scabbard, subs. (venery).—The
female pudendum: see Monosyllable.
Scabby, adj. (printers').—Unevenly
printed; blotchy.
Scabby-neck, subs. phr. (nautical).—A
Dane.
Scab-RAISER, subs. phr. (military:
obsolete).—A drummer. [One
of whose duties was to wield the
cat.]
Scad, subs. (American).—An
abundance: hence in pl. =
money; resources.
Scadger, subs. (common).—A
mean fellow; a cadger (q.v.).
Scaff, subs. (Christ's Hospital:
obsolete).—A selfish fellow: the
adj. forms are scaly and scabby
= mean; stingy.
SCAFF-AND-RAFF, subs. phr. (Scots'
colloquial).—Refuse, rabble,
RIFF-RAFF (q.v.).
Scaffolders, subs. (old).—Spectators
in the gallery; the gods
(q.v.).
1599. Hall, Satires, 1. iii. 28. He ravishes the gazing scaffolders.
