Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

Scoff, Skouff, Scuff, v. Also: scuffe, skuff. P.p. also skoft; scuft. [ME and e.m.E. scof, intr. to speak derisively (a1380), tr. to deride (1579); Scoff n.] tr. To mock, deride, scoff at. Also to scoff ower (if correct), and to scuffe (a person) out of (a proposed action), to dissuade by mockery.(1) 1570 Cal. Sc. P. III 310.
[But if he should come, and be] scuffit [and get nothing done … it would break his heart] c1590 Fowler I 81/110.
Yit they salbe … iustlye scorned and scuft Ib. 200/11.
I … scorns thé now as thow haste scoffed me 1608 in Calderwood VI 749.
Skuffed, taunted, reproached, they and their whole caus, in words, preachings, proclamatiouns c1610 Melville Mem. 367.
For it was ordonit … that incaice that day was not kepit, that they wald think them selues bot skouffit 1639 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 263.
The auctoritie of this Assemblie, so far scuffed by you yesternight 1643 Old Ross-shire I 314.
Trulie sir I deserve much better … than to be scuffed and jamffed with your freinds(2) 1608 Conv. Burghs II 253.
The weiring of cloikis and plaids is altogidder skuffed at by all strangeris(3) 1558-66 Knox I 200 n. (see Scuffe v.).
[Many other thingis] were merily skoft ower(4) a1660 Coll. Aberd. & B. 192.
She smyled to sie them intend so frutles ane interpryse, and went to call her husband to scuffe and geyre them out of it