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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.

SCOMFISH, v., n. Also scum-, skum-, skom-, scon-, scun-, skun-; -fis(ch), -feesh, -fice, -fise, -fe(e)s, -face, -fuss, -vice; ¶-fee (Abd. 1911 Abd. Weekly Jnl. (20 Dec.)). [′skʌmfɪs, -ɪʃ]

I. v. 1. tr. To suffocate, stifle, choke, to stop the breath from want of air, from smoke, heat, stench or the like, to affect or overpower from any of these causes (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Cai. 1904 E.D.D.; Sh., ne.Sc., em.Sc. (a), Bwk., s.Sc. 1969). Also fig. Ppl.adj. scomfished, overpowered with heat, etc., scomfishin, suffocating, stifling (Abd. 1904 E.D.D.). Also in n.Eng. dial.Sc. 1766 Edom o' Gordon in Child Ballads No. 178 C.iv.:
Gie up your house, now, mither deere, The reek it skomfishes me.Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian xxxix.:
A' thing is sae poisoned wi' snuff, that I am like to be scomfished whiles.Ayr. 1825 A. Crawford Tales Grandmother I. 161:
Jenny Gorlin, that scomficed her ain bairn, for fear o' the cutty stool.Slk. 1831 Hogg Good Queen Bess (1874) 194:
There's a heat about ye that's like to skomfish me.Ayr. 1836 Galt in Tait's Mag. (Jan.) 29:
A scomfished man I surely was, in great need of a cordial drink of tea.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 125:
Feech! what a scuneris guff! Anouch tae skumfish me!Lth. 1884 J. Strathesk Blinkbonny 121:
Removing the hams and things of that sort that they might not be scomfished [by tobacco smoke].Kcb. 1911 G. M. Gordon Auld Clay Biggin' 146:
He maun shift his seat gin he didna wush tae be fair scomfished.Sh. 1933 J. Nicolson Hentilagets 31:
Though you're “skunfished” with the smell.Bnff. 1939 J. M. Caie Hills and Sea 84:
Fair scomfisht wi' a' his gran' studies.Abd. 1957 Bon-Accord (25 April) 13:
There's only ae thing tae dee wi' that sconfeeshin' daud o' stuff, an' that is tae beery't.

2. To disgust, sicken, lit. and fig. (Sh., ne.Sc., Ags. 1969). Also ppl.adj.Ags. 1891 Barrie Little Minister xiv.:
It's fair scumfishing to hear her blawing about thae teeth.Fif. 1894 A. S. Robertson Provost 111:
What's common is gey an' often lookit upon as unclean, an' I would aiblins get scomfished.Mry. 1914 H. J. Warwick Tales 90:
The tongue o her wad hae scomfish't a jaikdaw.Crm. 1922 Rymour Club Misc. III. ii. 76:
A'm fair sconfished wi' 'errin.em.Sc. 1999 James Robertson The Day O Judgement 19:
"Snoovin, scomfishin snakes that ye are,
The hiss o yer music gars me grue;
Yer dooble tung's praise is ill tae thole
Wi its tip aw weit wi pushionous dew. ... "

II. n. 1. A suffocating atmosphere, a “fug”; a state of suffocation (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Ork. 1969).Ork. 1956 C. M. Costie Benjie's Bodle 59:
He raised sic a scunface that you couldna' see the face o' the clock.

2. A disgust, a strong dislike, feeling of repulsion. Phrs. to get or tak a scumfish at, to take a strong dislike to, be disgusted at (Sc. 1899 Mont.-Fleming; Sh., ne.Sc., Ags. 1969).