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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SCODGE, n., v. Also skodge, scudge, skudge; more freq. in dim. forms scodgie, -y, skodgie, scogie, scougie, scoogie, scudgie, skudgy; -jie, -jy; squodgie; ¶scudgel (Abd. 1954 Buchan Observer (9 Nov.)); ¶skwaajie (Per. 1921 T.S.D.C.). [′skodʒ(i), ′skʌdʒ(i); Per. ′skwǫdʒi]

I. n. 1. (1) One who does light rough or dirty work, a drudge, a menial, as a kitchen-boy or -girl (Sc. 1782 J. Callander Ancient Sc. Poems 84, 1825 Jam; Cld. 1899 Mont.-Fleming; Per., Fif., Lth. 1915–26 Wilson; Rxb. 1942 Zai; Cai., Inv., Mry., e. and wm. Sc. 1969); one who does odd jobs about a farm (Ags. 1914), see 1857 quot. Also attrib. Deriv. skodgery, drudgery.Sc. a.1790 J. Maidment Ballads (1859) 189:
It is not easy for to know A scodgie from a lady.Ayr. 1817 D. McKillop Poems 37:
I'm but her humble scodgie caddie.Slk. 1835 Hogg Tales (1874) 537:
“N-n-no' ma'am”, said I, utterly confounded. “I t-t-took you for the skudjie.”Sc. 1829 G. Robertson Recollections 111:
Of the female servants, there was always one of them alternately, week about, that, under the name of the scodgie took the whole charge of the household works.Rnf. 1850 A. McGilvray Poems 208:
Look after cleaning pans and tins, And all the scudgie matters.Sc. 1857 Jnl. Agric. 81:
It is the practice on most large farms for the ploughmen in rotation to remain at home on Sundays to look after the horses, while the others are at church; the servant acting in this capacity is called the “Scogie”.Fif. 1875 A. Burgess Poute 20:
I'm sick Tird o' sic Skodgery.Ags. 1882 Brechin Advert. (31 Oct.) 3:
There wis a little birkie 'at seemed to be a sort o' general scogie.m.Lth. 1894 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick 124:
Misca'in me for a scodgy to the laird.ne.Sc. 1930 Bothy Songs (Ord) 123:
For how could I think to be your wedded wife And me but your father's scogie.wm.Sc. 1936 W. C. Tait All Her Days 9:
I'm workin' in nae steadin'. Ye can make a scudge oot o' my mother, but ye'll no' make one oot o' me.

Combs.: (i) scodgy apron, an apron, usu. of sackcloth or canvas, worn for rough or dirty work; (ii) scodgie brat, id. (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; s.Sc. 1969); (iii) scodgie claes, one's second-best or working clothes (Kcd., Ags., Per. 1969); (iv) scogie-lass, a female kitchen-maid; (v) scodgie-maid, id.; (vi) scodgie-suit, = (iii) (Ags. 1957); (vii) scodgie-wark, the work of a menial, dirty rough work, drudgery (Ags. 1962).(i) m.Sc. 1925 Scots Mag. (Feb.) 351:
She rubbed the suds off her hands on to her “scodgy” apron.(iv) m.Lth. 1786 G. Robertson Har'st Rig (1801) xci.:
The Scogie lass does rin wi' haste And bring the kale.(v) Sc. 1822 Blackwood's Mag. (Dec.) 763:
Landlord, ostler, scodgie-maid.(vii) Per. 1898 C. Spence Poems 142:
Are ye a goodly-neighbour stark Far-famed langsyne for squodgie wark?

(2) in pl.: chores, dirty domestic jobs (Fif. 1969).

2. By extension: a mean, sneaking fellow (Kcb. 1900); a doubtful or suspicious-looking character (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 422; Sh. c.1870 E.D.D.); a dirty little person (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.); a shy retiring person (Ayr. 1910).

3. Short for scodgy-brat s.v. 1. Combs. (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; w.Lth., s.Sc. 1969).s.Sc. 1925 H. McDiarmid Sangschaw 29:
Wi' a scoogie o' silk An' a bucket o' siller.

II. v. 1. To do rough menial work, to act as a drudge (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Kcd. c.1850; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; em. and wm.Sc. 1969); to do odd jobs, as a young apprentice (Lth. 1969); to be a fag at school; rarely tr. to scour, scrub. Ppl.adj. scodged, of clothes: worn, frayed, roughly-used, shabby (Cai. 1921 T.S.D.C.).Per. 1898 C. Spence Poems 32:
A thriftier lass, Ne'er scougied a cog, nor ca'd kye frae the grass.Edb. 1898 J. Baillie Walter Crighton 25:
He knew he was only a kid; that as such he must remain for six months, performing during that time some of the lighter scogieing jobs for the knaps.Abd. 1995 Flora Garry Collected Poems 42:
The twaa weemen war wardles apairt -
The help at the manse an the Curnel's,
The quine fa skudgt at the mairt.

2. To look or act in a sly surreptitious manner, to sneak idly about (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 422; Cai. 1904 E.D.D.; Fif. 1911; Cai. 1969); to pilfer (MacTaggart). Hence scodger, a lazy lounger (Cai. 1904 E.D.D., Cai. 1969).