Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1785-1931, 1988-1999
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‡SKELLUM, n. Also skelum, schellum. A worthless fellow, scamp, scoundrel, rogue, now sometimes used playfully to a young boy (Per., Lth., wm.Sc. 1970). Also attrib. Obs. and arch. in Eng. and surviving in Sc. prob. under the influence of Burns Tam o' Shanter 19. [′skɛləm]Ayr. 1785 Burns To Rev. J. M'Math vi.:
An' shall his fame an' honor bleed By worthless skellums?Sc. 1814 Scott Waverley lxxi.:
That schellum Malcolm.Dmf. 1836 A. Cunningham Lord Roldan I. vii.:
These twa skellums got a haud o't.Lnk. 1860 W. Watt Poems 341:
Aff to Styx the skellum whirl.Kcb. 1897 Crockett Lochinvar xxxi.:
Nor even assisted that ill-set skelum Jock Scarlett to win clear oot o' his prison hole.Sc. 1931 J. Lorimer Red Sergeant ii.:
Oot o' ma gait, ye skellum.Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 50:
Awa he lowpit wi a skellum yelp
and the laist I saw wis the bauld pow ootsheenin
the sun itsel. I doot yon's gien him a skelp,
whuppt harns wud or they're spinnin like a peerie. Sc. 1999 Scotsman 5 Apr 14:
Just what kind of fearties does Mr Harding think Scots are? Does he think our skellums are mere schemies compared with superior English hooligans? Is he so hard-neckit as to believe that a Scottish hooligan is not every bit up wi' his cockapentie English scaff?
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"Skellum n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 8 Feb 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/skellum>
