Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a sheriff’s officer, a constable.

1591

Lyly Man in the Moone IV ii: Pages: What are yee, scabs? Watch: The Watch: this the Constable.

2. (also scab neck) an unpleasant person.

1590		Three Lords and Three Ladies of London B 1: Wel Wil, stil you’ll be a saucie Scab.
1594		Greene Frier Bacon and Frier Bungay C3: A companie of scabbes, the proudest of you all drawe your weapon if he can.
1600		Shakespeare Twelfth Night II v: sir to.: Out, scab! fab.: Nay, patience, or we break the sinews of our plot.
1614		Jonson Bartholomew Fair V iv: leatherhead: do I lie, like a rogue? puppet pythias: A pimp, and a scab.
1630		J. Taylor Works II 111: A whore [...] growes pocky proud [...] That such poore scabs as I must not come neere her [F&H].
c.1655		‘The Merry Mans Resolution’ in Ebsworth Bagford Ballads (1878) II 485: Farewel unto Sodom, and all her painted Drabs, / And farewel unto Bloomsbury, and all their vapouring scabs.
1664		C. Cotton Virgil Travestie (1765) Bk I 13: A huffing Jack, a plund’ring Tearer, / A vap’ring Scab, and a great Swearer.
1675		C. Cotton Scoffer Scoff’d (1765) 223: Thou kick me down, thou vap’ring Scab!
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Scab a sorry Wench or Scoundril-Fellow.
1701		Defoe True Born Englishman in Works (1908) 243: The Royal Branch, from Pict land did succeed, / With troops of Scots, and scabs from North-by-Tweed.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Scab, A worthless man or woman.
1803		J. Wetherell Adventures of John Wetherell (1954) 1 Apr. 31: Yo hoy ... you scab necks do you mean to keep a poor fellow here and give us no grog?
1811		Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1785].
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1878		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 27 Apr. 6/3: It is the boast of Buffalo that it has scattered more scabs broadcast than any city on this continent.
1873		Sl. Dict.
1895		C. Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 70: Scab, a worthless person.
1896		P.L. Dunbar ‘A Confidence’ in Lyrics of Lowly Life 174: But you won’t be sich a scab / Ez to run aroun’ an’ blab.
1902		H. Lawson ‘Bourke’ in Roderick (1967–9) II 34: We called them scabs and crawlers then, in Ninety-one and Ninety-two.
1912		A. Berkman Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist (1926) 189: That rotten scab.
1919		J. Buchan Mr Standfast (1930) 522: ‘Keep your dirty money,’ he said. ‘I’ll be even with ye yet, my man – you and that red-headed scab.’.
1927		Nichols & Tully Twenty Below Act II: A lot o’ pimps without women! Scabs! Punkgrafters!
1935		E. Anderson Hungry Men 248: He says that the guys that stay in these flophouses [...] are scabs. Dirty scabs.
1959		C. Williams Man in Motion n.p.: Except for being a rat, a fink, a scab, a thug, and a goon, he’s one of the sweetest guys you’ll ever meet [R].
1965		F.J. Hardy Yarns of Billy Borker 23: One bloke suggested he should send his kids to the university. ‘What,’ he answered. ‘And turn them into toffs and scabs?’.
1973		B.S. Johnson All Bull 32: Better than being scouse scabs.
1987		Eble Campus Sl. Fall 7: scab – a person who lives off his or her friends.
1998		P. McCabe Breakfast on Pluto 116: I could go down to Junior 1B right this very minute and pick a pair of young scabs that’d acquit themselves better than that!

3. a prostitute.

1620–50		‘Panders, Come Awaye’ in Farmer Merry Songs and Ballads (1897) III 32: True itt is that Babe for yeeres may be a virgin; / But Cupid ffinds the drabb, al ready for a surgyon for the scabb.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew.

4. (also scabbie, scalie) a strike-breaker or anyone who stands out against a mass action; cite 2010 refers to non-union labour irrespective of strike action.

1777		Bonner and Middleton’s Bristol Journal 5 July n.p.: The Conflict [shoemakers’ strike] would not been so sharp had not there been so many dirty Scabs.
1806		in J.R. Commons A Documentary Hist. of Amer. Industrial Society III 74: I concluded at that time I would turn a scab [DA].
1833		Albany Microscope (NY) 28 Dec. n.p.: This scab, as the craft term such allows, has pack’d up his kit and cut stick.
1887		Northampton Mercury 1 Oct. 8/3: Mentioning the ‘scabs’ who were at work for the firm.
1889		C.H. Salmons Burlington Strike 259: The man who takes the place of another when that other engages in a struggle with a corporation, is a ‘scab’ [DA].
1891		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 28 Feb. 7/4: Women with children in their arms pressed up to the front rank and reviled the ‘scabs’.
1892		H. Lawson ‘The Man from Waterloo’ in Roderick (1967–9) I 219: There’s another something scab / The boss has taken on!
1899		Kipling ‘An Unsavoury Interlude’ in Complete Stalky & Co. (1987) 76: ‘You’re three beastly scabs!’ was the instant retort of the democracy, and they went out amid execrations.
1900		T. Dreiser Sister Carrie 466: ‘Ah, you scab, you!’ yelled the crowd. ‘You coward! Steal a man’s job, will you?’.
1901		H. Lawson ‘“Lord Douglas”’ in Roderick (1972) 493: If an excited unionist called a man a ‘blackleg’ or a ‘scab’ in the Imperial bar he was run out.
1912		Truth (Wellington) 26 Oct. 7/1: He’s a scab. He tried to do me out of my compensation money [...] The term ‘scab’ will doubtless eventually be used solely to designate the blackleg and the person who ‘rats’ on his fellow unionists.
1912		Brisbane Courier 28 Aug. 9/4: Witness protested, and defendant said, ‘Why, you’re only a blackleg’. One of the other men said to witness, ‘Scab’.
1917		‘A-No. 1’ From Coast to Coast with Jack London 28: ‘We’re non-unionists, friend!’ admitted my hobo mate, finding himself cornered. ‘Scabs shan’t ride my train!’.
1929		S. Ornitz Haunch Paunch and Jowl 209: We [...] followed the scabs to their homes, and, if they would not listen to reason and join the union, they were severely mauled.
1934		(con. 1920s) J.T. Farrell Young Manhood in Studs Lonigan (1936) 234: Most of the other waiters had crawled back on their knees, begging for their jobs at any salary [...] Yellow Scabs!
1935		J. Conroy World to Win 169: ‘Here comes Cochran,’ said another of the pickets, ‘I guess he thinks there’s trouble; he thinks they’re tryin’ t’ run in a bunch of scalies.’.
1936		‘Banjo’ Paterson Shearer’s Colt 13: You shore at Nocoleche while the strike was on. The station cook told me. You shore — scab!
1936		Northern Standard (Darwin, NT) n.d. 12/2: Ena, Diena, Dina Doe, / Watch the Scabbies, see them go / [...] / Ena, Diena, Dina Doe, / They work when Union men say ‘No’ / No worms on earth as them so low / Though they on their bellies go.
1941		K. Tennant Battlers 223: You’re talking to the secretary of the Bagmen’s Union with a membership of forty-three and not one of them a scab.
1943		I. Wolfert Tucker’s People (1944) 124: ‘Come out, scabs!’ the strikers were roaring. Scabs! Scabs!
1951		(con. 1941) E. Lambert Twenty Thousand Thieves 183: There were no scabs when B Company jacked-up.
1964		H. Selby Jr Last Exit to Brooklyn 166: get back from that runway yeah, sure, afta we break those fuckinscabsheads.
1971		F.J. Hardy Outcasts of Foolgarah (1975) 185: Of course, Scabby Jack Slyme was the prime mover, employing soul-mate scabs on the garbage, shot and piss contracts.
1977		J. Sayles Union Dues (1978) 38: A bunch of scabs they call us.
1978		A. Burgess 1985 (1980) 205: School teachers come along to protest at blackleg education, scholastic scabs etc.
1987		N.Y. Times 25 Sept. n.p.: ‘Hey, scab,’ Crocicchia called out. ‘I mean replacement’ [R].
1996		H. Roth From Bondage 249: ‘Scabs,’ hired to replace the striking motormen in the event the strike was a prolonged one.
1999		Observer Screen 20 June 3: It takes courage to cross a picket line with all hands screaming ‘scab’ at you.
2000		Guardian Media 31 Jan. 3: Uncertain what to do but shout ‘Scab!’ and run back to the pack.
2001		D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 158/2: scab n. 1 a prison officer who has changed to another union because he dislikes the principles of the union with which he was formerly affiliated.
2010		(con. 1973) C. Stella Johnny Porno 114: There were problems with a union delegate about using scabs.
2023		R. Milward Man-Eating Typewriter 121: What angered me mostest about the petty scab was his unflinching willingness to degrade himself for extra dinarli .

5. an amateur [ext. of sense 4].

1952

J. Jones From Here to Eternity (1998) 421: Got to pertect us professionals from the steadily encroaching amatoors and scabs.

6. (US black/campus) an unattractive man or woman.

1967–8		Baker et al. CUSS 187: Scab An ugly person male [...] female.
1968		H. Sebold Adolescence 250: Girls are judged very harshly. The girl who is pegged as a scab, a shank, a bat, or an ox may be shattered forever.
1980		E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 145: Unattractiveness is often characterized in terms that suggest physical pain (she is hurtin’ for certain, scab, ruin’t).
1989		Eble Campus Sl. Sept. 5: scab – unattractive male.
2001		G. Coughlan Everyday Eng. and Sl. 🌐 Scab (n): ugly woman/man.
2015		L. McInerney Glorious Heresies 220: ‘You don’t even flush, you scab’.

7. (N.Z. prison) an inmate who curries favour with the authorities.

1982		G. Newbold Big Huey 253: scab (n) Person who panders to prison administration.
2001		D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 158/2: scab n. 2 an inmate who ingratiates himself (esp. with officers) in order to get an easy time in prison.

8. (UK juv., also scabber) one who attempts to beg money or food.

2001		G. Coughlan Everyday Eng. and Sl. 🌐 Scab (n&v): one who scabs (constantly borrows or tries to get freebies).
2001		OnLine Dict. of Playground Sl. 🌐 scab, scabber n. Someone who would try and borrow money or food or PE kit off other people...it was common to hear ‘i’m going on the scab’ at dinner time.
2001		D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 158/2: scab n. 4 (also festering scab) an inmate who begs food, cigarettes, coffee, drugs, etc. from his fellow inmates.
2017		(un)Australian 11 May 🌐 ‘Barnaby asked me to come up with some comments about drug testing welfare recipients so I immediately flamed up a scoob and ripped the scab off the top of tinnie and away I went’.

9. (Aus.) the ring-pull on a can of beer.

2002		Google Groups: uk.sport.football 9 Apr. 🌐 Though you could save yourself a lot of hassle if you’d just be so kind as to rip the scab off a tinny for me.
2007		S. Maloney Sucked In 243: Gilpin [...] dragged a can of beer from his raincoat pocket and picked off the scab.