skellum

American  

[skel-uhm] / ˈskɛl əm /

noun

Chiefly Scot.

1. a rascal.

---

skellum British  

/ ˈskɛləm /

noun

1. archaic a rogue

---

Etymology

Origin of skellum

1605–15; < Dutch schelm rogue, knave < Middle Low German; cognate with German Schelm rogue, Old High German skelmo, scalmo plague, corpse

Example Sentences

Brown is of a generation with my parents, and grew up calling a chimney a lum, an ear a lug, a frog a puddock, and the likes of David Cameron, a sleekit skellum.

From The Guardian • Jun. 4, 2010

Hum! why this now gives encouragement to a certain plot, which I have been long brewing, against these skellum English.

From The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 05 by Scott, Walter, Sir

Well, I got into German territory all right, and then a skellum of an officer came along, and commandeered all my mules, and wanted to commandeer me with them for his fool army.

From Greenmantle by Buchan, John

Now ev’ry sour-mou’d girnin’ blellum, And Calvin’s fock are fit to fell him; And self-conceited critic skellum His quill may draw; He wha could brawlie ward their bellum, Willie’s awa!

From The Complete Works of Robert Burns: Containing his Poems, Songs, and Correspondence. With a New Life of the Poet, and Notices, Critical and Biographical by Allan Cunningham by Burns, Robert

My footy, Congo! ole fool you! b’lieve you tell depth so? tink so, ole skellum?

From The Young Yagers A Narrative of Hunting Adventures in Southern Africa by Reid, Mayne