Monday, October 15, 2012

S-words rule! Update

We seem to be having a real influx of words beginning with "S".

Here's a few of the words that have come in from your comments. Keep 'em coming :-)

Update!
I have found a reference to the word "scutch" in the Cheshire Glossary that I posted about back in March.  The full entry can be seen here, half-way down page 178: http://www.archive.org/stream/glossaryofwordsu00leigrich#page/178/mode/2up

Here is a snapshot of the entry:




An anonymous reader had posted the word scutch in reference to skipping. Apparently your legs would get scutched if the skipping rope hit them. Here is the original comment:

"does anyone remember getting their legs 'scutched' when skipping? My dad was an electrician so I skipped with cable and that gave you a good 'scutch' if it caught your legs!" Anonymous.

It appears that the word scutch has changed over time from the cause of the injury to the injury itself. It has also changed from a verb to a noun, a fairly common occurance called conversion.
  • Scutch - a scratch or scrape on the skin
  • Scuff - as above
  • Slutch - sticky, smelly mud (normally along the banks of the Mersey)
  • Slather - drool (normally from a dog)
  • Slavver - a variant of slather
  • Slobber - drool (normally from a baby)
And a few others that have come up:

  • Scrawp - a scratch on the skin
  • Skittering - a thin covering of snow
  • Snig - a worm
It's interesting that we seem to differentiate between the saliva produced by a dog and that produced by a human! Does anyone disagree with this distinction?

2 comments:

  1. Hiya Wirelector. My favourite of the words is "scrawp".Sounds exactly what it is.
    I have also known scuff as being a scratch on a shoe.
    Slavver I would use for a Baby's drool and slobber and slather for as dog's drool. Maybe because the sound of the last two suggests a bigger drool :-)

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  2. I think "scrawp" and "scuff" can be used in different ways too. I've heard scrawp used as an action like rubbing something against a rough surface causing injury or damage eg:"Ive got a hole in my skirt. I must have scrawped it on the pavement when I fell" Same with scuff.

    Has anyone else heard the term"Sun shower"? When I say it to my hubby he laughs, says he has never heard it used before.

    When does slutch become sludge!

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