▪ I. scunge, n. colloq. (orig. Sc.).
(skʌndʒ)
Also skunge.
[Origin unknown: cf. next.]
a. A sly or vicious person. b. A scrounger or sponger. c. As a vague term of abuse.
| 1824 J. Mactaggart Scottish Gallovidian Encycl. 424 Scun, plan, draft. A scunge, a sly fellow; a maid seducer. 1900 in Sc. Nat. Dict. (1971) VIII. 104/1 A scunge has a crappin' for a'corns. 1912 G. Cunningham Verse Maistly in Doric 184 Jock, ye scunge! Come oot the dresser. 1948 Football Times 11 Sept., ‘You great big skunge’, meaning that you were always on the ‘mootch’. 1967 Comment (N.Z.) June 14/1 He obviously thought I must be a bit of a scunge asking political questions. 1976 R. Barnard Death on High C's iv. 44 ‘Big joke, scunge,’ said Gaylene, giving him the sort of shove that would have sent a lesser man through the wall. |
▪ II. scunge, v. colloq. (orig. and chiefly Sc.).
(skʌndʒ)
Also scundge, scunje, etc.
[Origin unknown: cf. prec. and scrounge v.1]
intr. To prowl around looking for food, etc.; to scrounge, to sponge. So ˈscunging ppl. a.
| 1843 J. B. Pratt Life & Death Jamie Fleeman (ed. 9) iv. 32 Hame wi you, ye scunging tyke, hame! 1844 W. Cross Disruption xxxi. 341 Neither will ye scunge after the gentry like McQuirkie. 1905 Eng. Dial. Dict. V. 299/2 Scunge, to slink about; to fawn like a dog for food. 1964 X. Herbert Larger than Life 243 Senile wrecks..coveting and scundging and bickering. 1966 Huntly Express 30 Sept. 2 It's maybe been a scunjin' dog. |