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.
SCUM, n., v., adj. Also skum. For I.Sc. forms see Skoom. Sc. usages:
I. n. 1. What has been skimmed off, skimmings, specif. skimmed milk (Cld. 1880 Jam.), used attrib. in quot.Lnk. 1795 Stat. Acc.1 II. 230:
Best cheese, . . . 4½d [per lb.]. Inferior, or scum . . . 3d.
2. A thin coating of ice (Cai. 1904 E.D.D.; Cai., Kcb. 1969).
3. A darkening gloom overspreading the sky (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). Also in Nhb. dial. Cf. O.N. skúmi, id.
4. A worthless disreputable character, one of the dregs of the population (Fif. 1825 Jam; Sh., Abd., Ags., Ayr. 1969), now used only collectively in Eng.; a mean miserly person (Fif. 1808 Jam.).Sc. 1722 W. Hamilton Wallace vii. i.:
That Tyrant to the Land no sooner comes, Than he packs up an Army of vile Scums.Per. 1766 A. Nicol Poems 109:
Improver, architects, and foreign scums.Mry. 1810 J. Cock Simple Strains 120:
A menseless, gabbin', pridefu' scum.Sc. 1824 Scott Redgauntlet iii.:
He is on the outlook for these scums of the earth.Rnf. 1850 A. McGilvray Poems 182:
To look, was a farce, at the Judges, the scums!ne.Sc. 1888 D. Grant Keckleton 71:
Afore she mairrit her scum o' a man.
5. As in Eng., a film or layer of dross, in fig. phr. to draw the scum owre the een, to gull, dupe, cheat, bamboozle.Ayr. 1883 W. Aitken Lays of Line 44:
Owre their een I'll draw the scum.
II. v. 1. To skim, remove scum (Cld. 1880 Jam.; Cai. 1904 E.D.D.; Per., Fif., Lth. 1915–26 Wilson). Gen. (exc. I.) Sc. Obs. in Eng. Used in pass. sense in 1822 quot. of turtle-soup. Phr. to scum the well, to draw off the first water from a well on New-Year's morning (see Cream, n. (2)). Agent n. scummer, a ladle or shallow dish used for skimming (n. and em.Sc. 1969). Obs. in Eng.Ags. 1712 A. Jervise Land of Lindsays (1853) 342:
A standirt, five spitts, a scummer.Ayr. 1822 Galt Gathering of West (1939) 88:
Targets coming, turtles scumming.Lth. 1829 G. Robertson Recoll. 233:
It [charlock-seed] can only be gathered off by a particular motion in scumming.Abd. 1868 Banffshire Jnl. (18 Feb.) 3:
On New Year's day they scummed the well.Abd. 1923 J. R. Imray Village Roupie 6:
A milk search, a scummer.
2. To catch with a small round net at the end of a long pole any herring fallen back into the sea from the nets as they are hauled aboard (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 151; n.Sc. 1969). Hence scummer, a young member of the crew who does this (Ib.; n.Sc. 1969). Also attrib.; the spoon-net used for this purpose (Cai. 1904 E.D.D., Cai. 1969).Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 151:
A scummt half-a-basket o' herrin' the streen.Sh. 1886 Chambers's Jnl. (15 May):
The “scummer” boy — the lad who is employed with a small hand-net to pick any herrings out of the water that happen to fall from the nets.Cai. 1938 N. M. Gunn Off in a Boat v.:
“It'll be just a mackerel”, he whispered, taking the net in fast. “Get the skummer — aft there.”Abd. 1943 W. S. Forsyth Guff o' Waur 8:
Steen'd nets, skummer loons.
Combs.: scum boy, scum money (see quots.), scum(ming)-net, a scoop-net used for catching salmon in rivers, or herring dropped from nets (Fif. 1951).Sc. 1750 Session Papers, Robertson v. Mackenzie (27 Nov.) 2:
This Part of the Water the Defenders fish with a Net fixed to a Pole, called a Scum-net, the Pole reaching the Breadth of the Water.Abd. 1891 R. Kirk N. Sea Shore xiii.:
Any herrings therefore that escaped Kelpie's “scumming-net” were soon floating past the bow of the boat.Abd. 1951 Fraserburgh Herald (12 June):
He was “scum-boy” on board the vessel at that age. On many occasions he was successful in scumming a full cran-basket of herrings which he sold to the hawkers for so much money. “Wulzie” was allowed to keep the “scum money” for his own pocket, as he was too young to do harder work and participate in the earning of the craft.
†3. To strike by drawing the hand forcibly across the cheek, to slap (someone's face). Also in n.Eng. dial. Phr. to scum up one's mu', to give one a slap in the face, fig. to rebuff, treat with scorn or insult.Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 396:
I'll scum your jaws.Abd. 1824 G. Smith Douglas 55:
Nae doubt ye've seen yoursel', lang lang ere now, Some gentle bastard geet scum up your mu?Lth. 1825 Jam.:
I'll scum your chafts to you.
III. adj., from the v. Skimmed, having the top surface scooped off, of a liquid. Hence scum-milk, skimmed milk (Cld. 1880 Jam.; Per., Fif., Lth. 1915–26 Wilson). Gen. (exc. I.) Sc.Ayr. 1815 Ayrshire Mag. (Feb. 1816) 288:
Poor A—w he maun dinner then On scum-milk cheese.Edb. 1821 W. Liddle Poems 102:
Only but a dry peas scone With water or scum milk that's lean.wm.Sc. 1835 Laird of Logan 165:
Can ye gi'e me a pennyworth o' scum milk?
