or skoot, skute, verb. (common).—To move quickly; ON THE SCOOT = on the run; SCOOTER = a restless knockabout; SCOOT-TRAIN = an express.
1838. J. C. NEAL, Charcoal Sketches, ‘Pair of Slippers.’ Notwithstanding his convulsive efforts to clutch the icy bricks, he SKUTED into the gutter.
18[?]. HILL, Yankee Stories [BARTLETT]. The fellow sat down on a hornet’s nest; and if he didn’t run and holler, and SCOOT through the briar bushes, and tear his trowsers.
1848. J. R. LOWELL, The Biglow Papers. An’ send the insines SKOOTIN’ to the bar-room with their banners.
1858. The Atlantic Monthly, i. March, 529/2. The cap’en he SCOOTED round into one port an’ another arter his own business.
1869. The Quarterly Review, cxxvi. 371. The laugh of the gull as he SCOOTS along the shore.
1871. Philadelphia Age, Feb. An Iowa man, instead of going to the expense of a divorce, gave his wife a dollar, and told her to SCOOT.
1880. J. C. HARRIS, Uncle Remus, xxii. W’en ole man Rabbit say ‘SCOOT,’ dey SCOOTED, en w’en ole Miss Rabbit say ‘scat,’ dey scatted.
1888. Puck’s Library, May 18. SCOOT DOWN and buy like the devil!
1886–96. MARSHALL, He Slumbered [‘Pomes,’ 118]. So she SCOOTED from the shanty.
1894. Sketch, 461, 1. Once settled there, we SCOOTED around for members, but there was at that time no subscription.
