Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
SCOFF, v.1, n. Also scuff; scowf, scouf(f), skowf(f) (ne.Sc.). For the dipthong cf. O, letter, 2. (2) (v). [skɔf, skʌuf]
I. v. 1. To swallow (food or drink) quickly, to gulp down, toss off. Gen.Sc.Abd. 1826 D. Anderson Poems 8:
Ye ranted wi' them and scuff'd aff their wine.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb v.:
Hoot, min, dinna spull the gweed, clean, halesome water — skowff't oop!Arg. 1917 A. W. Blue Quay Head Tryst 42:
Suppose we're scoffin' up hot pies at the Fair.Abd. 1918 J. Mitchell Bydand 13:
An' meetin' wi' a drouthie freen They scouft a gless or twa.Bnff. 1924 Swatches o' Hamespun 40:
Scouff't aff, min.
‡2. To filch, steal, plunder, sponge (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., scowf; Ags., Fif., Lth., Slk. 1969). Also in Eng. slang.Lnk. 1885 J. Hamilton Poems 147:
On the fiel's o' brairdin' wheat Comes scouffin' doun the hungry craws.Mry. 1922 Swatches o' Hamespun 68:
Tho' dark as mirk he scouft an oor An' dockt me ane in twenty-four.
II. n. A large draught of liquor (Bnff. a.1838 Jam. MSS. X. 277).
[Now in gen. slang use but orig. dial. in various parts of Eng. and Scot. Appar. a variant of Scaff, v.1, of Du. orig. The mod. Eng. slang form prob. derives directly from Afrikaans. O.Sc. scoff, to scrounge, 1689.]
