scour, v.¹ — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

scour v.¹

also scoure, scower, scowre

[SE scour, to rub]

to wear (fetters), thus to sit in the stocks; usu. in phr. below.

1465–71		Mankind in Farmer Lost Tudor Plays (1907) 28: Me seemeth ye haue sco[u]red a pair of fetters.
1515		A. Barclay Eglogues Bii: That they for almes (I sweare by goddes cokes) in euery towne wold make me scoure the stockes.
1533		J. Heywood Pardoner and Friar Biv: Wherefore by saynt John thou shalt not escape me / Till thou hath scouryd a pare of stokys.
1648		Dekker Canters Dict. Eng. Villainies (9th edn).
1665		Head Eng. Rogue I 52: Scoure, To wear.
1674		Head Canting Academy (2nd edn).
1688		R. Holme Academy of Armory Ch. iii item 68c: Canting Terms used by Beggars, Vagabonds, Cheaters, Cripples and Bedlams. [...] Scowre, wear, put on.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Scoure c. to wear.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1754		Scoundrel’s Dict. 26: Thou the Crange ne’er did scowre, / Harmans had on thee no Power.
c.1786		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue ms. additions n.p.: Scour [...] to Wear: chiefly applied to Irons, Fetters, Ruffles, &c because Wearing scours them.
1788		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (2nd edn) n.p.: Scour [...] to wear: chiefly applied to irons, fetters, or handcuffs, because wearing scours them. […].

In phrases

scour the cramp-ring(s) (v.) (also scour queer cramp-rings) [cramp-rings n.]

to wear chains or fetters.

c.1566		Harman Caveat for Common Cursetours in Viles & Furnivall (1907) 86: So may we happen on the Harmanes and cly the Jarke or to the quyerken and skower quyaer cramprings and so to tryning on the chates So we may chance to set in the stockes eyther be whypped eyther had to prison house and there be shackled with bolttes and fetters and then to hange on the gallowes.
1592		Groundworke of Conny-catching n.p.: [as cit. c.1566].
1608		Dekker Lanthorne and Candle-Light Ch. 1: To the quier cuffin we bing / And then to the quier Ken to scowre the Cramp-ring.
1611		Middleton & Dekker Roaring Girle V i: O I wud lib all the lightmans./ O I woud lib all the darkmans [...] And scour the queer cramp ring, / And couch till a palliard docked my dell.
1637		Dekker Canting Song in Eng. Villainies (8th edn) O3: Thou the Cramp-rings nere didst scowre, as Harmans had on thee no power.
1674		‘The Beggars Curse’ Head Canting Academy (1674) 14: And then to the Whit, to scour the cramprings.
1688		R. Holme Academy of Armory Ch. iii item 68c: Canting Terms used by Beggars, Vagabonds, Cheaters, Cripples and Bedlams. [...] To scour the Cramp Ring, to wear Bolts.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: To Scoure the Cramp-rings, c. to wear Bolts.
1707		‘Rum-Mort’s Praise of Her Faithless Maunder’ in Farmer Musa Pedestris (1896) 35: [as cit. 1637].
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1754		Scoundrel’s Dict.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: To scower the cramp ring, to wear bolts or fetters, from which as well as from coffin hinges, rings, supposed to prevent the cramp, are made.
1786		Oxford Jrnl 4 Mar. 3/2: Thou has the luck to squeak now and so thy friends must go to quod and scour the cramp rings, whilst thou livest at ease with the Harmenbeck.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1815		(con. 18C) W. Scott Guy Mannering (1999) 148: Ye are a’ altered from the good auld rules, and no wonder that you scour the cramp-ring and trine to the cheat so often.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.

scour the darbies (v.) [darby n.² (1)]

to wear chains or handcuffs.

1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (2nd, 3rd edn) n.p.: Scour [...] to wear: chiefly applied to irons, fetters, or handcuffs, because wearing scours them. He will scour the darbies; he will be in fetters.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.

scour v.1

In phrases

scour v.¹