1658. Musar. Del., 'On Epsom Wells.' Old Ops . . . Is yellow, not with summer, But safronised with mortal scummer.
Scumble, verb. (artists').—To
glaze a picture.
Scurf, subs. (common).—See quot.
1851.
1851-61. Mayhew, London Lab., i. 20. They . . . burst out into one expression of disgust. "There's a scurf!" said one; "He's a regular scab," cried another. Ibid., ii. 262. The Saxon Sceorfa, which is the original of the English Scurf, means a scab, and scab is the term given to the "cheap men" in the shoemaking trade. Scab is the root of our word Shabby, hence Scurf and Scab, deprived of their offensive associations, both mean shabby fellows.
1870. Longfellow, Dante's Inferno, xv. iii. That wretched crowd. . . . If thou had hadst an hankering for such scurf.
Verb. (thieves').—To arrest; to lay hold of (Grose, Vaux).
Scurrick, subs. (Old Cant).—A
halfpenny (Grose): see Rhino.
Scurry, subs. (racing).—See quot.:
cf. scab-race.
1889. Krik, Guide to the Turf. In sporting [scurry] a short race run for amusement by inferior horses or non-winners.
1902. Headon Hill, Caged, xv. It would have been all right if I hadn't been welshed over the last scurry.
Scut, subs. (venery).—1. The
female pudendum: see Monosyllable;
and (2) the pubic
hair: see Fleece (Grose).
1596. Shakspeare, Merry Wives, v. 5, 20. My doe with the black scut.
1664. Cotton, Virgil Travestie (1st ed.), 104. And likewise there was finely put, A Cushion underneath her Scut.
c. 1705. Broadside Song, 'Oyster Nan' [Farmer, Merry Songs and Ballads (1897), i. 177). Come in, says he, you silly Slut, I'll lay the Itching of your Scut.
1720. Durfey, Pills, vi. 198. With her breast she does butt, and she bubs up her scut When the bullets fly close by her ear.
1730. Broadside Song; 'Gee Ho, Dobbin,' 5. I rumpl'd her Feathers, and tickl'd her scutt.
Scute, subs. (old).—(1) A small
coin: hence a low standard.
1596. Nash, Letter [Nares]. Worse than a scute or a dandiprat.
15[?]. Fortescue, Diff. Between Absolute and Limited Monarchy [Nares]. Sum . . . that was wonte to pay . . . a scute, payyth now . . . over that scute, fyve skuts.
Scuttle, subs. (old).—1. An
affected gait {see quot. 1704);
(2) a hasty move; a bolt (q.v.):
as verb. = (1) to run off (B. E.
and Grose).
c. 1704. [Ashton, Social Life, &c., I. 92]. Shut myself in my Chamber, practised Lady Betty Modely's Scuttle.
c. 1711. Spectator [Century]. She went with an easy scuttle out of the shop.
d. 1797. Walpole, Letters, II. 476. I have no inclination to scuttle barefoot after a Duke of Wolfenbuttle's army.
1841. Thackeray, Comic Tales, II. 164. But, oh horror! a scream was heard from Miss Binse who was seen scuttling at double-quick time towards the school-*house.
1869. Browning, Ring and Book, I. 286. No . . . viper of the brood shall scuttle-off.
1872. Brighton Daily News, 4 Sep. The infant scuttled into existence about midday.
1875. W. H. Kingston, South Sea Whaler, xiv. Scuttling away at a rapid rate.
Verb. (Christ's Hospital, Hertford).—2. To cry out, under oppression, to attract the attention of the authorities. Hence scuttle-cat = one who scuttles (obsolete).
