Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

‡SKELLUM, n. Also skelum, schellum. A worthless fellow, scamp, scoundrel, rogue, now sometimes used playfully to a young boy (Per., Lth., wm.Sc. 1970). Also attrib. Obs. and arch. in Eng. and surviving in Sc. prob. under the influence of Burns Tam o' Shanter 19. [′skɛləm]Ayr. 1785 Burns To Rev. J. M'Math vi.:
An' shall his fame an' honor bleed By worthless skellums?Sc. 1814 Scott Waverley lxxi.:
That schellum Malcolm.Dmf. 1836 A. Cunningham Lord Roldan I. vii.:
These twa skellums got a haud o't.Lnk. 1860 W. Watt Poems 341:
Aff to Styx the skellum whirl.Kcb. 1897 Crockett Lochinvar xxxi.:
Nor even assisted that ill-set skelum Jock Scarlett to win clear oot o' his prison hole.Sc. 1931 J. Lorimer Red Sergeant ii.:
Oot o' ma gait, ye skellum.Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 50:
Awa he lowpit wi a skellum yelp
and the laist I saw wis the bauld pow ootsheenin
the sun itsel. I doot yon's gien him a skelp,
whuppt harns wud or they're spinnin like a peerie. Sc. 1999 Scotsman 5 Apr 14:
Just what kind of fearties does Mr Harding think Scots are? Does he think our skellums are mere schemies compared with superior English hooligans? Is he so hard-neckit as to believe that a Scottish hooligan is not every bit up wi' his cockapentie English scaff?