2. (old).—A swaggerer (Halliwell).
3. (old).—The itch (Halliwell). Hence scratchland = Scotland: cf. Scots Greys.
4. (old).—A miserly man (Halliwell).
5. (sporting).—In handicaps (a) a starting line for those contestants allowed no odds, (b) the time of starting, (c) a start, (d) contestants starting from the SCRATCH-line. In boxing, a line drawn across the ring (q.v.) to which boxers are brought for a set-to (Grose). Hence to COME (or BRING) UP TO (or TOE) the scratch = to be ready, willing.
1819. Moore, Tom Crib, 51. Sprightly to the scratch both buffers came.
1821. Egan, Life in London, 1. i. I challenge thee to the scratch! 'Tis one of the Fancy calls!
1825. Jones, 'True Bottom'd Boxer' [Univ. Songst., ii. 96]. He's for the SCRATCH, and COME UP too IN TIME.
1827. Scott, Two Drovers, ii. "How would you fight then?" said his antagonist; "though I am thinking it would be hard to bring you to the scratch anyhow."
1834. Ainsworth, Rookwood, IV. ii. Bold came each buffer to the scratch.
1857. Bradley, Verdant Green, II. iv. Wondering . . . if the gaining palms in a circus was the customary "flapper-shaking" before toeing the scratch for business.
1880. Athenæum, 4 Sept., 316, 2. A young lady, apparently of about thirteen years of age, who comes on the stage in a short frock, brings a timid and recalcitrant lover TO THE SCRATCH.
1885. M. Post, 5 Feb. The former starting from scratch, and the latter in receipt of 200 points.
1885. Century Mag., xl. 207. The scratch, or line from which the jump is taken is a joist some five inches wide, sunk flush with the ground
1892. Anstey, Voces Populi, 'At the Military Tournament,' 97. (The chestnut is at length brought up to the scratch snorting, etc.)
6. (billiards).—A fluke (q.v.).
Adj. (colloquial).—Generic for chance: hap-hazard, hasty, 'first come, first served.' Thus a SCRATCH - CREW (-TEAM, or -company) = a crew, &c., got together at short notice and without special selection; scratch-race = a contest, unrestricted by conditions, a 'Go-as-you-please' affair; A SCRATCH-MEAL = a pick-up (q.v.) meal; &c., &c. Also TO SCRATCH ALONG = to manage somehow.
1859. Lever, Davenport Dunn, lvi. Gathered together like what jockies call a SCRATCH-TEAM.
1869. Orchestra, 18 June. There is no English company—not the best—worthy of comparison with Felix's scratch troupe in respect of ensemble, of accurate detail.
1870. Figaro, 15 Feb. I do not much like the look of the scratch company that Messrs. Montague, James, and Thorne have got together.
1874. Collins, Frances, xlii. Frances and Cecilia, coming down, found a hasty luncheon, and everybody busy at it . . . When this scratch luncheon was over, everybody went out.
1883. Oliphant, Altiora Pets, 1. xvi. 261. A coarse-fibred, stumpy little man . . . whose vulgarity would have fatally handicapped any other woman than his lovely and talented wife in the social SCRATCH RACE.
1885. Field, 4 Ap. Notwithstanding their long preparation and perfect coaching [they] looked like scratch crews.
1888. Harper's Mag., lxxvii, 88. I suspect we'll scratch along all right.
Verb. (colloquial).—I. To expunge; to blot-out; spec. (a) to reject a horse, a candidate, &c.; and (b) to retire.
