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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Scruf(e, Scroof(f)(e, Scurf(f, n. Also: scruffe, scruiff, scrwiff, scroff, skruf(f)(e, skruiff, scurf(f, shcriff. [ME and e.m.E. scurf (Cursor M.), scrofe (15th c.), scruffe (1526), scruf(f (17th c.), late OE scurf, scruf, OE sceorf.]

1. Refuse, debris, rubbish, esp. from mining. 1460 Hay Alex. 10796, 10798.
The scruffe of gold is thare liffing and mete The emottis scrapis the gold out of the hill And ettis the scruffe and lattis the gold ly a1568 Bann. MS 23b/30.
Think that this lyfe is nocht thé lent For skafing heir of scruf [Bann. MS I p. 17/30 skruf] and skum 1592 Crawford Mining P. in Mining Rec. 33.
Warkmen to … karye the scrwiff and quarrellis red

2. Debased coinage. b. The refuse deriving from the minting of copper or base-metal coins. c. transf. or fig. Money regarded as debased or from a debased source, filthy lucre. 1559 Knox I 403.
Sche dois sua corrupt the layit money and hes brocht it in sick basenes and sic quantatie of scruiff [Calderwood I 510 scruffe] that [etc.] 1559 Knox I 403.
Thay … convert the guid and stark money … into this thair corruptit skruiff [Calderwood I 510 scruffe] and baggage of hard-heidis and non suntisb. 1668 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. II 490 (see Scizell n.).
Scroffc. a1568 Scott i 65.
Thai brocht thair bastardis, with the skrufe thai skraip To blande thair blude with barrownis be ambitioun

3. The integument, esp. of a fruit or nut. 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 19.
The scrufe of citroun 1579, 1617 Despauter (1579).
The scrufe of the nute 1658 R. Moray Lett. fol. 286.
Take a quill and pierce the skin [sc. of a pat of dung] … and suck out all the soft so as you leave nothing but the skin … then … she will find nothing but a toom scroof

4. fig. The outward or superficial aspect of a thing, its appearance as opposed to its substance.(a) 1600 Hamilton Facile Tr. 31.
The trew word of God consistes in … inuart inteligence and not in the vtuart scruf & externel wordis of the scriptures(b) 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 315.
It is time therefore that we be busy in seeking and renewing breaking and humiliation of our hearts for, the outward scroof [1591 scroofe], suppose it appeareth to be whole, where the inward is festered, availeth nothing, but maketh it to undercoat again 1629 Boyd Last B. 188.
What are … earthlie delights? … the fairest are … onlie an outside or outward scroofe of pleasure 1629 Boyd Last B. 447.
Out vpon him with all his faire wordes! All his religion was but scroofe and scumme 1653 Causes of the Lords Wrath 20.
The power and life of godliness, which are the kernell, whereof these things are but the shell and the scrooff(c) 1669 Butler Life Leighton 421.
There is great abatement of the inwards of religion, when the debates about it pass to a scurf outside

5. A person's skin; also fig. b. An incrustation on the skin, scurf. 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 163/464.
Shall I amongst thir duyningis count (quhose cruell boldness fell Seamis as it uaire uith outuarde scrufe [v.r. scroofe] of uexit man to mell) The ouglie lousie phtiriase?fig. a1658 Durham Comm. Rev. 343.
Young ones … had need to be watchfull if they thrive not at their entry by this Word before the scroof grow over their heartsb. a1651 Calderwood IV 395.
Pustuls in the face and hands, turning to white skruffe

6. The surface of the ground, the topmost layer of soil or vegetation.(a) 1683 Coll. Aberd. & B. 104.
Some of this kind of earth is found commonly in low marish ground, with a green scroof 1683 Coll. Aberd. & B. 104.
We have also a clay soile, which is exceeding ill, where the upper scrooff is not mixed with a marble soile 1683 Coll. Aberd. & B. 105.
They use to mix their cattle dung with marish earth or scrooff of useless ground, and letting them rot [etc.] 1683 Coll. Aberd. & B. 104. 1695 Acts IX 452/2.
By the pulling up by the root of bent juniper [etc.] … which did loose and break the surface and scrooffe of the saids [sand] hills(b) 1658 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 176.
By intertaneing and manteneing of such ground as ar links and bentie hillocks, that the superfice and scurff theroff be not brokin(c) 1590 Aberd. B. Rec. II 69.
Kepand the aird and shcriff thairof [sc. the links] ondelirt or cassin vp

7. A layer or crust of a metallic substance formed by heat. 16… Symson Descr. Galloway 137.
Under that [ash] there was an inch thick of a scurff like mug mettall which took a stroak of the pick-ax to break it