skellum
Americannoun
noun
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
‘Allah Crachty!’ says she, ‘but dat Ou’ Wolf is about de laziest skellum ever any woman wore herse’f out wid.
From Old Hendrik's Tales by Arthur Owen Vaughan
“But, Ou’ Ta’,” demanded she at last, “did Ou’ Wolf never pay off Ou’ Jackalse for his skellum tricks?”
From Old Hendrik's Tales by Arthur Owen Vaughan
‘I’s fix’ dat skellum dis time a’ right,’ ses he.
From Old Hendrik's Tales by Arthur Owen Vaughan
His sons and daughters were many, and all good, save for one sidelong skellum, Piet, his second son, who afterwards went to live among the English.
From Vrouw Grobelaar and Her Leading Cases Seventeen Short Stories by Perceval Gibbon
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