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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.

SCUFF, v., adv., n. Also skuff; †scaff (in sense III. 4.). [skʌf]

I. v. 1. To touch lightly in passing, to graze, to draw one's hand, etc. quickly over the surface of something, to brush off or away (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 423). Gen.Sc. Also fig. of a slight shower of rain (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 151), of a low sound, etc.; to take surreptitiously, pilfer, “swipe”.Dmf. 1723 Sermon by P. Linn 18:
Like what you call a Flying Shower or Scuffing Rain.Ags. 1815 G. Beattie Poems (1882) 204:
The watchfu' mate flaff'd i' the gale . . . Now soar'd aloft, now scuff'd the ground.Ayr. 1826 Galt Last of Lairds xxxviii.:
I just scuffed it doun wi' the head o' my staff.Edb. 1844 J. Ballantine Gaberlunzie viii.:
This waesome croonach scuffs his ear.Lth. 1853 Justiciary Reports (1855) 261:
A stone 2 lbs. weight had been thrown down the pit and had scuffed his right shoulder.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 151:
Scuff the stew aff o' yir sheen.Edb. 1875 J. Ballantine Gaberlunzie 356:
“Scuffin' the poor-box clink”, pilfering money, etc.Ags. 1901 W. J. Milne Reminiscences 89:
The gut-ends juist scuffed his nose an' he never moved.Abd. 1928 Abd. Weekly Jnl. (1 Nov.) 9:
He felt a “wheen” stray pellets “scuff his shins”.

2. To hit (a ball, etc.) with the flat of the hand, to strike with a glancing blow (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Uls. 1953 Traynor). Hence scuffin' hails, a street-game consisting in two teams trying to scuff a rubber or paper ball to a hail or goal at either end of a pitch (Watson); to beat the ears from a head of oats (Uls. 1953 Traynor).Abd. 1993:
I'll scuff yer lug.

3. To touch at or pay a short visit to (a place) in passing.e.Lth. 1899 J. Lumsden Poems 251:
Through ‘Hell's Gates' to the Red Sea, Scuffing Perim.e.Lth. 1908 J. Lumsden Th' Loudons 192:
The clachan o' Innerwick's stuck on a brae, Which by guid luck I only just scuff'd.

4. To ruffle or stir up the surface of anything lightly, as in digging or hoeing, to do work in a light superficial or careless manner (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 151).

5. tr. and intr. To shuffle with the feet, to draw the feet over (the ground, floor, etc.) in a light but noisy manner, to scuffle (Sc. 1794 J. Ritson Sc. Songs (1869) II. 570; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 151). Gen.Sc. Also in Eng. dial.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Works (S.T.S.) 145:
With a pair of rough rullions to scuff thro' the dew.Sc. 1897 W. Beatty Secretar xlviii.:
To whilk speech, after I had skuffed the boards with my feet . . . I made answer.Sc. 1902 Blackwood's Mag. (Jan.) 41:
I vainly tried to scuff over the boards with my leather-soled shoes in the same noisy fashion.Abd. 1932 D. Campbell Bamboozled 35:
Yon awfa reid pair yer ain mither used tae scuff-scuff in.

6. To wear away (clothes) with hard usage, to make worn and shabby, to tarnish (Sc. 1787 J. Elphinston Propriety II. 170, 1808 Jam.; Uls. 1904 E.D.D.; Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 265). Gen.Sc.; to wear for rough work or odd jobs (Sc. 1808 Jam.); intr. to go about in old clothes (Id.). Ppl.adjs. scuffed, shabby, tarnished, damaged (Uls. 1953 Traynor). Gen.Sc. Also U.S.; fig. of persons: scruffy, disreputable; scuffin, of clothes: second-best (Fif., Slg., Lnk., Kcb., Dmf. 1969).Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 90:
Wide copes, great hoods a' riv'n and rent, And scapularies scuff'd and shent.Sc. 1828 Blackwood's Mag. (Feb.) 232:
Charging his son not to skuff out his shoes.Ayr. 1836 Galt in Tait's Mag. (Jan.) 33:
He came back, shewing in the two scuffed women.Gsw. 1862 J. Gardner Jottiana 59:
In second best (or as they ca') Her scuffin gown.Fif. 1886 W. Wilson Echoes of Anvil 79:
Our velvet broon coat, though scuffed at the tail.Arg. 1914 J. M. Hay Gillespie i. viii.:
He was that scuffed lookin', I couldna keep my eye off the tie he'd on.Fif. 1916 G. Blaik Rustic Rhymes 133, 160:
Sae I mun aff at aince my brat, An' don my buits an' scuffin hat, . . . Sae I pat on my scuffin' goon, An' ta'en a stap 'wa' doon the toon.Uls. 1913 A. Irvine My Lady of Chimney Corner ix.:
A piece of paper yellow with age and so scuffed with handling that the scrawl was scarcely legible.wm.Sc. 1936 W. C. Tait All Her Days 59:
Mirren's eyes almost bored through the scuffed wood.Fif. 1961 People's Jnl. (7 Jan.):
Nae matter though they [boots] 're gie weel scuffed, The new are ne'er the same.

Hence adj. scuffie, -y, shabby, worn, tarnished, mean-looking, lit. and fig. (Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 265; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; ne., m. and s.Sc. 1969); niggardly (ne.Sc. 1969).Ayr. 1861 Carrick Anthol. (Finlayson) 210:
His character was gayan scuffy.Lnk. 1895 W. C. Fraser Whaups xiii.:
He wears black claes, awfu' scuffy.Edb. 1928 A. D. Mackie In Two Tongues 16:
Dinnae spurn The scuffy bass, for yince inowre ye'll learn The hoose is braw.Bnff.⁶ 1930:
The aul fermer treatit me in a gey scuffy wye.Fif. 1935 Rintoul & Baxter Fauna of Forth 77:
A few pairs [of tree sparrows], in gradually diminishing numbers and increasingly scuffy plumage.Abd. 1968 Buchan Observer (20 Aug.) 2:
Gie skuffie wis the feed.

II. adv. With a whizzing or scuffling noise, in a scuffing grazing manner (Abd., Ags. 1969).Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 151:
A hard the stane gang scuff past the side o' ma hehd.

III. n. 1. A glancing or brushing stroke of the hand, a smack, blow, a slight touch or graze in passing (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 151; Uls. 1953 Traynor), a hasty wipe (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., Rxb. 1969), a slight sweeping, hoeing or the like (Gregor). Gen.Sc.; a puff of wind (Uls. 1953 Traynor).Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 423:
The scuff is the wind, as it were; the scuff of a cannon ball, blows a man to pieces.Edb. 1839 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch xxiii.:
After giving his breeches-knees a skuff with his loof, to dad off the stoure.Dmb. 1899 J. Strang Lass of Lennox xv.:
Gie'in' his een a bit scuff wi' the back o' his haun'.Bnff. 1924 Swatches o' Hamespun 34:
Bit fat's a scuff on the back o' the heid?Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 23:
A skuff doon wui a claes-brush.Abd. 1993:
I'll gie yer lug a scuff.

2. A kind of scraper used by a blacksmith for raking and trimming his fire (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein). Cf. Scuffet.

3. A flat stick or bat used in the game of handball (Rxb. 1825 Jam.). See also Scuif.

4. A slight passing shower of rain (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 421; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 151; Ayr. 1928; ne.Sc., Lth., sm.Sc. 1969). Hence scaffie, of a shower: fleeting (MacTaggart).Kcb. 1895 Crockett Moss-Hags xlviii.:
A dark gloomy day, with scuffs of grey showers.Abd. 1928 J. Baxter A' Ae 'Oo' 9:
An antrin April scuff or twa.

5. A collection of low characters, the scum of the population, riff-raff, the rabble (Per., Fif., Lth., wm.Sc. 1969); an individual of this class (Peb. 1950).Sc. 1838 Chambers's Jnl. (27 Jan.) 1:
Nobody here but scuff.Edb. 1844 J. Ballantine Gaberlunzie x.:
On King's birthdays thy squibs and pluffs, Slapp'd in the face o' drucken scuffs.Abd. 1880 G. Webster Crim. Officer 103:
Apprehen'in' William Ogilvie, a wanderin' kin' o' a scuff.

6. A spree, carousal, the “batter”, esp. in phr. (up)on the scuff.Sc. 1832 Chambers's Jnl. (July) 193:
If he is sure every Saturday, when he gets his wages, to go upon the scuff.Crm. 1854 H. Miller Schools 323:
We got upon the skuff after you left us.

7. A scuffle, a rough-and-tumble fight, a brush.Sc. 1715 West-Country Intelligence (13 Dec.) 7:
The frequent scuffs betwixt the students and the soldiers.