1869. Quart. Rev., cxxvi. 371. The laugh of the gull as he scoots along the shore.
1871. Philadelphia Age, Feb. An Iowa man, instead of going to the expense of a divorce, gave his wife a dollar, and told her to scoot.
1880. Harris, Uncle Remus, xxii. W'en ole man Rabbit say 'scoot,' dey scooted, en w'en ole Miss Rabbit say 'scat,' dey scatted.
1888. Puck's Library, May 18. Scoot down and buy like the devil!
1886-96. Marshall, He Slumbered ['Pomes,' 118]. So she scooted from the shanty.
1894. Sketch, 461, 1. Once settled there, we scooted around for members, but there was at that time no subscription.
Scorcher, subs. (common).—Anybody
or anything severe, eccentric,
or hasty. Spec. to scorch
= to ride a bicycle, drive a motor,
&c., at top speed: whence
scorching = hot (q.v.).
1876. Hindley, Cheap Jack, 36. It was a very fine hot day—a regular "scorcher."
1885. Hawley Smart, Post to Finish, 361. It's a scorcher . . . and Mr. Elliston not 'weighing-in' with the Caterham money of course makes it rather worse for us.
1889. Cornhill Mag., July, 62. The next day was a scorcher.
1890. Pennell, Cant. Pilgrimage, Preface. We were pilgrims, not scorchers.
1890. Polytechnic Mag., 13 Mar., 5, 1. An impromptu scorch was started by trying to keep behind a really fast cabby to obtain shelter from the wind.
1893. Milliken, 'Arry Ballads, 22. They're regular scorchers, these women.
1897. Ally Sloper's Half-Holiday, Oct. 23, 338, 3. The scorcher charges, without remorse, At all the people who cross his path.
1897. Referee, Oct. 24, 3, 1. A said-to-be scorching play entitled "At the Foot of the Altar."
1901. D. Telegraph, 7 Jan., 8, 3. As a result of complaints as to the excessive speed at which motor-cars are driven . . . the police have been keeping a sharp lookout for scorchers.
Score, verb. (common).—To get
the better of: also to score off
one.
Scorf. See Scorf.
Scorpion-of-the-brow, subs.
phr. (literary).—See quot. (R.
Burton).
1885. Burton, Thousand Nights, i. 168. Note 3.—In other copies of these verses the fourth couplet swears by the scorpions of his brow, i.e. the accroche-*cœurs, the beau-catchers, bell-ropes or "aggravators."
Scot, subs. (old).—1. A person
easily vexed; esp. one given to
resent company sport; the diversion
is called getting one out
(or round the corner). Also
(2) = temper; a paddy (q.v.);
Scottish = fiery, easily provoked.
[Grose: 'A Scot is a bullock of
a particular breed which affords
superior diversion when hunted;
Bee: 'A butcher's term'].
Scotch, subs. (colloquial).—1.
Scotch whiskey: cf. Irish.
1886-96. Marshall, He Slumbered ['Pomes,' 118]. In the early evening watches he had started well on Scotches.
1893. Crackanthorpe, Wreckage, 125. Mary, two bitters and a small Scotch to the Commercial Room, and a large Irish for Mr. Hays here.
2. See Scotch-peg.
Phrases.—Scotch-bait = 'A halt and a resting on a stick as practised by pedlars (Grose); Scotch-casement = the pillory; Scotch-chocolate = 'brimstone and milk' (Grose); Scotch-coffee = hot water
