Scrape

subs. (colloquial).—1.  Trouble; a difficulty (GROSE).

  1741.  WARBURTON, The Divine Legation, II. The too eager pursuit of this his old enemy through thick and thin has led him into many of these SCRAPES.

  1748.  SMOLLETT, Roderick Random, ix. He got himself into a SCRAPE by pawning some of his lordship’s clothes. Ibid. (1749), Gil Blas [ROUTLEDGE], 188. By this device I got out of the SCRAPE.

  1754.  The Connoisseur, No. 6. I had, indeed, like to have got into some unlucky SCRAPES.

  1767.  STERNE, Tristram Shandy, i. 12. This unwary pleasantry of thine will … bring thee into SCRAPES and difficulties.

  1778.  SHERIDAN, The Rivals, v. 1. Have they drawn poor … Sir Lucian into the SCRAPE.

  1790.  BRUCE, Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, II. 456. The Naybe Musa … found into what a terrible SCRAPE he had got.

  1796.  M. G. LEWIS, The Castle Spectre, v. 1. He’d be in a terrible SCRAPE if you began knocking down his walls, or requested the loan of his wife or daughters!

  1818.  SCOTT, Rob Roy, viii. Jobson, however, was determined that Morris should not back out of the SCRAPE or easily. Ibid. (1819), Lammermoor, viii. Unless you be in the Jacobite SCRAPE already, it is quite needless for me to drag you in.

  2.  (common).—An obeisance: also as verb = to salute by scraping the feet; SCRAPE-SHOE = a sycophant: see LEG.

  1632.  MASSINGER [?], The City Madam, iv. 1. Live, SCRAPE-SHOE, and be thankful.

  c. 1840.  MANSFIELD, School-Life at Winchester College, s.v. SCRAPE OUT—When a Præfect wished to go out of School, he SCRAPED with his foot till he got a nod from the Master.

  1851.  HAWTHORNE, The House of the Seven Gables, xi. He took off his Highland-bonnet, and performed a bow and SCRAPE.

  3.  (common).—A shave: hence SCRAPER = (a) a razor, and (b) a barber; and as verb = to shave.

  1869.  Public Opinion, 19 June. The beard and moustache which the sailors in the Royal Navy will be permitted to wear, thereby doing away with the objection that blue-jackets have to the SCRAPER.

  4.  (school).—Cheap butter: whence BREAD AND SCRAPE = (a) bread very thinly spread with butter, and (b) short commons. SCRAPE also = short shrift.

  1873.  BROUGHTON, Nancy, xlvii. Some people have their happiness thinly spread over their whole lives, like BREAD AND SCRAPE!

  1899.  Pall Mall Gazette, 5 April, 2, 1. From the French adventurers he was only likely to get what schoolboys call SCRAPE, for though musical boxes and patent armchairs are all very well in the way, they do not serve to check a Dervish attack or to keep wild Somalis in subjection.

  5.  (old).—A turn at fiddling: also SCRAPING; as verb = to fiddle; SCRAPER (or GUT-SCRAPER) = a fiddler. See CAT-GUT SCRAPER.

  1607.  DEKKER and WEBSTER, Westward Ho! v. 1. Cham. They are but rosining, sir, and they’ll SCRAPE themselves into your company presently. Mon. Plague a’ their cat’s-guts and their SCRAPING.

  1611.  CHAPMAN, May-Day, iv. 1. Strike up, SCRAPERS!

  1785.  BURNS, The Jolly Beggars.

  6.  (old).—A miser: also SCRAPER, SCRAPE-PENNY, SCRAPE-ALL, SCRAPESCALL, and SCRAPEGOOD. As verb = to stint, to deny.

  1631.  HERBERT, The Temple, ‘The Church-Porch.’ Never was SCRAPER brave man.

  1653.  URQUHART, Rabelais, III. iv. A pinch-penny, a SCRAPE-GOOD wretch.

  c. 1696.  B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. SCRAPE ALL, a Money-Scrivener: also a miserable Wretch, or gripping Fellow.

  TO SCRAPE THE ENAMEL, verb. phr. (cyclists’).—To scratch the skin: by a fall.

  See ACQUAINTANCE; LEG.