ˈscritch-owl arch. exc. Southern U.S.
Forms: see scritch n.
[f. scritch n. + owl.]
= screech-owl.
| 1530 Palsgr. 268/1 Scrytche houle a byrde. Ibid. 271/1 Skrytche heule. 1590 Shakes. Mids. N. v. 383 Whil'st the scritch-owle, scritching loud, Puts the wretch that lies in woe, In remembrance of a shroud. 1609 B. Jonson Masque of Queens Wks. 1616 I. 951 The Scrich-owles egges, and the feathers blacke,..I haue been getting. 1697 Collier Ess. Mor. Subj. ii. (1709) 24 The Warbling of Cats and Scritch-Owls. 1813 Coleridge Remorse iv. iii. 6 The scritch⁓owl only wakes. 1944 Publ. Amer. Dial. Soc. ii. 49 Scritch-owl, screech-owl. 1960 V. Williams Walk Egypt 269 Mary Morning cried, ‘I seen something sliding.’ ‘A rat. A scritch-owl.’ |
| transf. and fig. 1594 Contention ii. (1843) 151 Bring forth that fatall scrichowle to our house, That nothing sung to vs but bloud and death. 1641 J. Jackson True Evang. T. iii. 187 What is poore, and silly man alone, but a very scrich⁓owle, and satyre. |
| attrib. 1790 Coleridge Music, 'Tis thou who pour'st the scritch-owl note. |