Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a contraceptive sheath.

1969		Current Sl. IV:3–4 (1970).
1974		J. Lahr Hot to Trot 73: This is how they’ll find you – a Trojan Gossamer Tip. Who else [...] would still be carrying a scum-bag!
1988		H. Max Gay (S)language.
2003		G. Carlin GeorgeCarlin.com 🌐 Condom: scumbag.

2. (also joe scumbag, scum-bum, scum wad) a term of general abuse; thus attrib.

1951		Republican & Herald (Pottsville, PA) 24 Jan. 4/2: Hes a mean, fightin’ Irishman when he goes after those movie scum-bums.
1952		C. Brossard Redemption in G. Feldman (ed.) Protest (1960) 111: What a scumbag of a world it was, what a miserable rat’s life.
1959		M. Richler Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1964) 132: The old scum-bag, may his stocks fall through the bottom of a graph tomorrow.
1964		H. Selby Jr Last Exit to Brooklyn 97: Before they left Tralala stomped on his face until both eyes were bleeding [...] Ya rotten scumbag.
1972		J. Wambaugh Blue Knight 281: Booked for lying in court to put a scumbag where he ought to be.
1974		G.F. Newman You Flash Bastard 130: You cocksuckers can’t keep me here. I’m Howie Godder, you scumbags, not some nobody you can push around.
1986		H.B. Gilmour Pretty in Pink 102: ‘Philip F. Dale to you, scumwad,’ he said.
1987		(con. 1970s) J. Pistone Donnie Brasco (2006) 137: Don’t ever embarass me in front of people again. Because I’m not just some fucking Joe Scumbag on the street.
1990		S. Morgan Homeboy 198: The same places your kind of pervert oughta look for scumbags like Belly Blast.
1990		R.G. Barratt ‘Take Derryn Hinch...Please’ in What Do You Reckon (1997) [ebook] He was a scumbag, a hairbag, a toe-rag, a boil on the arse of society.
1991		Eble Campus Sl. Mar. 8: scumbag [...] also scum wad.
1994		J. O’Connor Secret World of the Irish Male (1995) 126: I know what a lying cheating scumbag he is, but...
2000		P. Temple Dead Point (2008) [ebook] An absolute scumbag, Jack, you’ll know that.
2003		N. Green Angel of Montague Street (2004) 49: He was your basic scumbag, always looking to hustle you.
2006		London Lite 3 Oct. 12: [The] uneducated scumbags that breed on our streets.
2009		L. McIlvanney All the Colours 152: ‘They’re scumbags, Gerry, a shower of murdering bastards’.
2009		P. Temple Truth 66: He’s a former Hellhound, been tight with Gabby Simon, club scumbag.
2010		(con. 1973) C. Stella Johnny Porno 19: Eddie Vento and every scumbag like him.
2013		K. Sampson Killing Pool 106: Prendergast, legal counsel to the underworld [...] a crook worse than just about any scumbag operational in Liverpool right now.
2015		L. McInerney Glorious Heresies 77: ‘[P]eople obviously don’t tell you you’re a scumbag half enough’.
2016		T. Robinson Rough Trade [ebook] The Cellar happens to be the biggest scumbag bar in Boston, complete with a high level of tolerance for behavior that would be frowned upon in polite society.
2018		Sowetan Live 2 Mar. 🌐 If I were only talking sh*t I’d be your twin. And I’d be a piece of sh*t scumbag [sic] lawyer .
2018		C. Hammer Scrublands [ebook] ‘Some of the greatest bums I’ve known were loaded. Rich scumbags’.
2018		I. Welsh Dead Man’s Trousers [13]: — You’re a murdering scumbag and she should know that!
2019		N. Walker Cherry 12: The sirens telling everyone I’m a fucking scumbag.
2020		C. Hiaasen Squeeze Me 214: Every few days the garrulous scumbag in the cell next to his would be replaced.
2021		P. Howard Braywatch 32: [T]hat family. Pack of focking scumbags’.
2021		P. Papathanasiou Stoning 286: ‘That lowlife scumbag’.
2021		T. Pluck Boy from County Hell 71: ‘Got any scumbag skips ’round Jeannetta?’.

(US) an unpleasant person.

1983		C. Heath A-Team 2 (1984) 134: He called you a dirtball, Jenko [...] Dirtball, scumball ... some kinda odd ball at any rate.
1991		Reeves & Mortimer Vic Reeves Big Night Out n.p.: You sure are one classy broad to be hangin’ around with a scumball like Tony Peretti.

disgusting, repellent.

1986		C. Hiaasen Tourist Season (1987) 363: After old man Bradshaw dies, his scumball kids put it up for sale.
1999		Guardian Rev. 16 July 19: Cassandra dumps Wayne for her scumball manager.

(US) a term of abuse.

1994

T. Willocks Green River Rising 70: The fat scumbelly was saying [...] that he [...] couldn’t hold onto his own fucking wife.

1. an unpleasant person.

1981		R. Vigfusson Expensive Habits 106: He has access to every drug in creation , but she has to consort with a scumbucket like Matthew Walker to keep supplied.
1985		J. Wambaugh Secrets of Harry Bright (1986) 187: So many scum buckets were suing cops these days.
1987		D. Schmidt Mack Bolan: Devil’s Horn 19: I ain’t some scumbucket out of Harlem.
1989		M. Maloney Twisted Cross 88: This showed Hunter a great amount of initiative, a talent not usually found among the scumbucket armies of the crazy New Order world.
1991		C. Hiaasen Native Tongue 177: The deceased was a well-known scumbucket.
2005		B. Hare Urban Grimshaw 6: Alert the alien scum-buckets to my presence.
2013		S.H. Bogart Remake [ebook] [I]t’s part of his job to be polite, even to a scumbucket like you, because you are a scumbucket with political clout.
2022		J. Hannaham Didn’t Nobody Give a Shit 94: Which gang of convicts or COs would take the next whack? Would these particular scumbuckets finish her off?

2. an unpleasant, dirty place.

1990

S. Morgan Homeboy 14: That’s why it was called the Snatch Patch: it was a scumbucket.

(US) a term of abuse.

1994

T. Willocks Green River Rising 61: That stinking black nigger scumdog [...] was fucking his Claudine.

(US) unpleasant, disgusting.

1993

C. Hiaasen Strip Tease 38: His first task was ratting out three of his scumdog thief friends.

a general term of abuse.

1986		F. Pfeil Goodman 2020 186: OKAY, OKAY, ALL RIGHT SCUMFUCK, YOU’RE ON!
1986		T. Philbin Under Cover 183: What scumfuckers you have for help! How could they let this jig walk?
1997		T. Fontana ‘Visits’Oz ser. 1 ep. 2 [TV script] Ortolani was a scumfuck, man.
1999		Guardian Guide 3–9 July 52: He was, as one inmate put it, ‘a low-life scum fuck’.
2002		J. Kellerman Murder Book 183: He investigated the scumfuck who murdered my dad.

a general term of abuse.

1952		(con. 1948) G. Mandel Flee the Angry Strangers 145: That son-of-a-bitch bastard white-fingered scumhead of a parasite!
1996		J. Cameron It Was An Accident 110: What you doing here you scumhead?
2001		A. Lee Under the Rose 170: Hey Scumhead, we finally meet again.

the anus.

1997

T. Fontana ‘The Tip’ Oz ser. 2 ep. 1 [TV script] I’m not a fag, but if I were I wouldn’t put my dick anywhere near Ross’s scumhole.

a general term of derision, abuse; sometimes used affectionately.

1997		N. Barlay Curvy Lovebox 86: La’er scumpig.
2000		F. Dipietro Afterlife of Trisha Bumwood 111: How about I express my distaste for that scumpig Milton.

1. a person who performs fellatio.

1971

F. Hilaire Thanatos 263: You kill him, scum-sucker.

2. (also scumsnorter) a derog. term of general abuse.

1971		F. Hilaire Thanatos 270: Get off him you scummy motherfucker! [...] You scum-sucker!
1977		J. Olsen Secret of Fire Five 25: ‘How old’s that midget scumsucker?’ Mike Mustache says.
2003		Bug (Aus.) Aug. 🌐 I will volunteer to check the bags of the management scumsnorter who came up with that one.
2009		L. McIlvanney All the Colours 265: [E]ven the worst redtop goon, the crummiest door-stepping keyholing scum-sucker, was better than me.

a derog. epithet.

1977		N.C. Heard When Shadows Fall 174: ‘You ain’t getting another chance to ruin my daughter’s life, you scumsucking bastard!’.
1981		J. Wambaugh Glitter Dome (1982) 73: Now GIT YOUR SCUM SUCKIN ASS OUTA HERE AND BACK TO CULVER CITY!
1992		D. Burke Street Talk 2 22: What a scum-sucking pig!
2002		S. Maloney Something Fishy (2006) 150: This scum-sucking piece of shit, Rodney Syce.
2004		T. Fey Mean Girls [movie script] She’s a scum-sucking road whore.

see scumbag

(US campus) an unpleasant person.

1989

P. Munro Sl. U.

(US campus) a man who treats women badly.

1995

Eble Campus Sl. Apr. 7: male scum – male who mistreats females: ‘I’m sick of going out with male scum’.

1. a highly unpleasant person.

1989		P. Munro Sl. U. 170: shower scum / pond scum [...] slime, filth.
1992		D. Burke Street Talk 2 21: Why would you want to date him? The guy’s nothing but pond scum!

2. attrib. use of sense 1.

1986

C. Stroud Close Pursuit (1988) 91: You want to fuck up those nifty new Florsheims of yours, climbing around [...] every pond-scum hotel in Alphabet City.