Dictionary of Contemporary Slang (134 page)

sch-
prefix

many slang words of Yiddish origin may be spelled with these initial letters, but ‘sch' is the standard German form and, as such, is not employed in this dictionary, except for words which have been specifically recorded in this form. The alternative spelling
sh-
is used in writing by most Yiddish speakers and writers in English-speaking countries and is therefore preferred here.

schemie
n British

a synonym for
chav
, recorded in 2005. Like
ned
the term originated in lowland Scotland and refers to (low-rent) housing schemes.

schlemiel
n

a fool, clumsy unfortunate, loser. A Yiddish word (pronounced ‘shler-meal') used with a mixture of pity and contempt. In 1813 von Chamisso wrote
Peter Schlemihl's Wunderbare Geschlichte
; a parable describing a man selling his shadow and his soul. The author probably took the name from Schlumiel, a biblical general notorious for losing battles.

‘I've never been able to stand Woody Allen – he's such a schlemiel.'
(Recorded, antiquarist, London, 1986)

schlong
¹
n American

the penis. A Yiddish word (meaning ‘snake') which has entered the mainstream of American slang since the 1960s. It has been used in the novels of Elmore Leonard, Philip Roth's
Portnoy's Complaint
and the film
Sophie's Choice
, among other instances. In the late 1980s wits coined an alternative form; ‘schlort'.

schlong
²
vb

to have sex (with). The word was in use among UK university students in 2001 according to the Student World website.

schlub, schlob
n American

alternative or earlier forms of
slob

schmaltz
n

sickly sentimentality. The word is Yiddish, from the German for cooking fat or dripping. The word was used in the New York Jewish community to describe what Leo Rosten in
The Joys of Yiddish
(1970) defines as ‘corn, pathos, maudlin and mawkish substance; excessive sentimentality, overly emotional mush, sugary banality'.

‘With chapter headings such as “I'm in love with a dishwasher”, “I love you too, Mommy”, “I love you, Michael”, and “We all love each other”, On the Outside Looking In has more schmaltz than a New York deli.'
(Book review by Nigella Lawson,
Sunday Times
, April 1989)

schmeck
n American

1.
a sniff or taste (in Yiddish from German)

2.
heroin. It is this second sense which is the origin of the more recent
smack
.

schmeckle
n American

an unnamed object, substance, etc. The Yiddish word actually denotes the penis, but in adolescent usage since the late 1990s has been generalised to an allpurpose designation.

She's got some schmeckle down the front of her shirt.
Pass me the schmeckle on the shelf there.

schmendrick
n American

a foolish or clumsy nonentity. A Yiddish word which is used by Jews and non-Jews alike in American speech. Shmendrik was a character in an operetta by Abraham Goldfaden.

schmooze, schmoose
vb See
shmooze

schmuck
n American

a pitiful, foolish or obnoxious person, usually male. Schmuck is from the Yiddish word
shmok
, itself from the German
schmuck
, meaning ornament. In Yiddish the word was used first as a euphemism for the male member, it then became a synonym for the English
prick
, figuratively as well as literally. As employed today, especially by non-Jewish speakers, schmuck is a fairly mild term of abuse, often used ruefully, despairingly or affectionately. It was perceived as an obscenity in the USA for many years with the result
that the euphemism
shmo
was invented in the 1940s.

‘He gave his small son a gun and taught him how to shoot all God's little creatures… and called him “his little schmuck”, giving Mike a nice warm glow, until he finds out what it means.'
(Nigella Lawson,
Sunday Times
, April 1989)

schmutter
n

clothing. The word is Yiddish, deriving from the Polish
szmata
, meaning rag. Schmutter was popularised in Britain by its use in the tailoring trade.

a nice bit of schmutter if you ask me
They used to be in the schmutter business.

schnockered
adj

drunk. The word is probably not Yiddish or German, despite its most usual spelling, but may derive from an archaic dialect term ‘snock', meaning to hit. Schnockered, also spelled
snockered
, is encountered more often in American speech than British.

‘As a whiskey salesman… I'm often lit up by elevenses, loop-legged by luncheon and totally schnockered by 6.'
(Posy Simmonds cartoon,
Guardian
, 1979)

schnook
n American

an unfortunate, timid or pathetic person. The word is Yiddish, but apparently was coined in the USA. It is probably related to the German
schnucki
: darling, or
schnuck
: a small sheep.

schnozzle, schnozz
n

the nose. The word is Yiddish, from German, in which
schnauze
is the translation of ‘snout'. The comedian Jimmy ‘Schnozzle' Durante (named for his large nose) introduced the word to non-Americans.

schwag

an alternative spelling of
swag

schwing!
exclamation American

an expression of male delight at the sight of an attractive female. The word is a mock-Yiddish alteration of ‘swing' and probably refers to an erection. It originated in the ersatz slang of the cult 1992 film,
Wayne's World
, and was subsequently adopted by high-school and college students in the US.

scoff
n British

food. A noun formed from the colloquial verb (itself probably from an imitative dialect word) and used, particularly by young people, as a more fashionable synonym for
grub
. In fact this use of scoff dates from the 19th century.

‘What I've got my eye on is all that lovely scoff.'
(Recorded, student, London, 1987)

sconce
n British

a challenge issued as part of a university drinking contest. If members of one group (e.g. a rowing team) fail to meet a challenge (e.g. to admit to sexual activities) set by another group, they have instantly to down their drinks.

‘One male team from Oxford wrote that the girls they were dating offered, “good chat, good looks, and some f**king brutal sconces…”'
(Daily Telegraph, 2 April 2013)

sconned (on peeve)
adj British

drunk. A term used by teenagers since the mid-1990s.

scooby
¹
adj

a.
excellent, attractive

b.
delicious

A vogue term among adolescents in the 1990s, the word was also used by adults, particularly women. It is part of the nonsense phrase ‘scooby-doo', which was used as the name of a cartoon character in the 1970s and of a plastic swatch used in children's games in the 1960s (then in the French form
scoubidou
).

scooby
²
n British

a treat, enjoyable experience. The noun derives from the adjective, which itself derives from the earlier
scooby-doo
. Since around 2000 the term has been popular among adults as well as teenagers.

scooby(-doo)
n British

1.
a clue. Invariably as part of a phrase in utterances such as ‘Don't ask me, I haven't got a scooby-doo'.

2.
a
screw
(prison warden)

scoop
n

1.
American
the latest news, information, gossip. The term has been in use since at least the later 1970s and is often used in the phrase ‘have the scoop on something/someone' or ‘give me the scoop'.

2.
British
an alcoholic drink, especially a pint of beer. Often in the plural.

Let's pop out for a few scoops.

scoots
n pl American

dollars. A word of unknown origin used mainly by adolescent speakers.

scope
¹
vb American

to look at, examine. A vogue term among adolescents since the 1980s, it is heard on
college campuses and is in use among the neo-
Valley Girls
featured in the 1995 US film,
Clueless
. In black speech ‘scope on (something/someone)' is a common variant.

We're going to scope the betties in the park.

scope
²
,
scoper
n British

a clumsy, inept and/or foolish person. A synonym for
spanner
,
spack
, etc. in use among adolescents and by
Viz
comic in 2001. The word was coined as a result of the UK Spastics Society changing its name to Scope.

scope out
vb American

to explore, investigate, evaluate

score
¹
n

1.
British
£20. The word has been particularly popular in underworld and police usage since before World War II.

I thought it was worth at least a hundred, but I only got a score for it.

2.
a success or coup, especially a successful crime, seduction or arrest

‘Shaft's Big Score!'
(Title of US film, 1972)

3.
a drug purchase. From the verb form.

They set up a score downtown.

score
²
vb

1a.
to buy (illicit drugs). An Americanism that became the standard term world-wide in the late 1960s.

1b.
to obtain. This is a young person's generalisation of the previous raffish usage.

Look on the bright side – you may not have got the job, but at least you scored a free lunch.

2.
to succeed in gaining sexual satisfaction

I saw you leaving the pub with that redhead – did you score?
Chas scored with Emma.

score
³
exclamation American

an expression of joy, triumph or relief

scorf
n
,
vb British

a.
a variant form of
scoff

b.
a variant form of to
scarf

scouse
¹
adj British

of or from Liverpool. The word is derived from ‘lobscouse', a stew traditionally containing vegetables, hard-tack or ship's biscuit, and sometimes meat. Lobscouse was eaten by sailors and was popular in the Liverpool area.

scouse
²
n British

the accent and speech of the Liverpool area

scouser
n British

a Liverpudlian. From
scouse
.

scrag
¹
vb

1.
British
to torment, tease, attack, beat up. A schoolboy term dating from the 19th century.

2.
American
to kill, destroy. An underworld term adopted by black street gangs in the 1980s. In 18th- and 19th-century British slang scrag was used to mean ‘execute by hanging', strangle or grab by the neck. The word is originally a Scottish dialect term for neck and is related to ‘crag'.

3.
American
to copulate (with)

scrag
²
n British

a foolish and/or annoying person. The word, an archaic term for a thin or bony person or animal, has been used in this way since around 2000 by adolescents.

scram
vb

to leave quickly, go away. Nearly always heard in the form of a brusque dismissal, the word is a shortening of ‘scramble', first used in the USA at the turn of the 20th century. (The
pig Latin
version of the term is
amscray
.)

scran
n British

food. The word is used throughout the armed services and by some civilians, particularly public schoolchildren and students. It comes originally from Romany and has been employed since the 18th century to mean victuals, scraps or leftovers.

All we want to know is where we can get some decent scran in a hurry.

scrapaloids, scrapoids, scrappers
n pl British

underpants. An item of student slang in use in London and elsewhere since around 2000.

scrape, scrape-out
n British

‘an unwanted person'. The dismissive epithet was in use among South London schoolchildren in 2010.

scrat
n

an ugly or unattractive female. A term used by young street-gang members in London since around 2000.

scratch
n

cash, ready money. This sense of the word has been in use since the end of the 19th century. It is either derived from the notion
of ‘scratching a living' or of banknotes which are ‘up to scratch', i.e. genuine.