Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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About this entry:
First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1780-1825
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SCRIM, v.1, n.1 Also skrim and deriv. forms scrimmage, skrim-, skreem-, skrum(Gregor); scrumsh.
I. v. 1. tr. To beat, strike or knock about with vigour (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 163, skrim(mage)); to smack the bottom, spank (Kcd. 1825 Jam.). Vbl.n. scrimmin (Jam.).Abd. 1780 Ellis E.E.P. V. 772, 775:
Aa the young chiels gathert to the Ley o Mamore to the baa, an I can tell ye they scrimmed it up . . . Gin Shanks hadna been a fushionless stram, he widna latten Breece skrim him that day.
2. To rub or scrub energetically (Lnk. 1825 Jam.; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 163, skrim(mage)). Vbl.n. scrimman.Lnk. 1825 Jam.:
"To scrim the cogs," to rinse the milk-vessels.
3. To hunt about for, to acquire by a thorough bustling search (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 163, skrim(mage); Abd. 1904 E.D.D.).
4. intr. To work vigorously and effectively, to bustle about (Bnff., Cld. 1825 Jam.); to move quickly, scud or scurry along, of a ship.Sc. 1808 Jam.:
To scrim along the sea.
II. n. In forms skrimmage, skreemage, skrummage, the act of scrimmaging in the various senses of the v. above, rubbing, beating, searching noisily, the forms skreemage, skrummage, implying “a deeper sound and slower motion” than skrimmage (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 163); a raid on the marbles staked during a game (Lnk. 1927, scrumsh).
[O.Sc. scrym, to skirmish, 1375 skrym, to dart, rush at, 1450, O.Fr. scrimir, to skirmish. The Eng. scrimmage derives through the earlier scrimish from the Fr. participial stem scrimiss-.]
