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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 2005 (SND, online supplement).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SCABBY, adj. In combs. 1. scabby-heidit also scabbie-heidit. Infested with head lice.Dundee 1996 Matthew Fitt Pure Radge 4:
scabbie-heidit
muckle-boukit
aye hingin
hootchin wi clartSc. 1999 Scotsman (20 Jan) 8:
"Some of my favourite photographs are from a set of Glasgow photographs taken by Bert Hardy back in the Thirties. There's one of two scabby-heided wee boys playing in a Gorbals street. ..."Sc. 1999 Herald (29 Mar) 2:
Nelly vanished as the game was ending and returned to announce that he'd been on the phone to UEFA and that Poland had won 1-0. "Goals scored by scabby-heided wee ginger-nuts don't count. ..."Sc. 2000 Daily Record (30 Nov) 28:
Hungry? I could eat a scabby-heided wean with toenail clippings on the side.Sc. 2002 Big Issue (7-13 Feb) 17:
And even though he had vulgarly announced on entering the restaurant that he could "eat a scabby heided wean between two bread vans" the dish defeated him. The portions are generous.Sc. 2003 Daily Record (13 Dec) 11:
But my uncle had something we called the holiday hut in Meadow Park in Girvan. So a bunch of scabby-heided weans from Castlemilk would descend onto this hut, which was actually three green wooden train carriages.Edb. 2003:
Ah'm that hungry Ah could eat a scabbie-heidit bairn.

2. scabby-dug. In phr. I could eat a scabby dug, I am very hungry.Gsw. 1985 Michael Munro The Patter 83:
I could eat a scabby dug (dog) I am extremely (not to mention indiscriminately) hungry.Gsw. 1987 Peter Mason C'mon Geeze Yer Patter! 33:
Ah c'd eat a scabby dug, so ah could. I really am very hungry.Sc. 1995 Herald (8 Sep) 17:
After a long day at the conference, hungry delegates will head for one of Glasgow’s many fine restaurants with the words: “I could eat a scabby dug.”