Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Wednesday Word: Scrumpy


scrumpy |ˈskrʌmpɪ|
noun
(Miscellaneous Technologies / Brewing) a rough dry cider, brewed esp in the West Country
[from scrump, variant of scrimp (in obsolete sense: withered), referring to the apples used]

Sorry, Brits, I love you and your quaint vernacular, but this is just wrong. You're misusing and abusing an absolutely delicious sounding word. I refuse to accept. So here is MY definition of scrumpy:

scrumpy |ˈskrʌmpɪ|
adjective informal
(of food, person, body parts) so firm and delicious you want to sink your teeth in them: Oi, check out the arse of that lad. Ain't it scrumpy?

DERIVATIVES
scrumpily adverb
scrumpiness noun
ORIGIN mid 21th cent.: Lou Harper.

5 comments:

  1. Well, we do have a word very like scrumpy which means what you want it to mean - scrummy. The Urban Dictionary says it is 'A combination of "scrumptious" and "yummy"'. Do you not have that over there?

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    Replies
    1. "Scrummy" sounds way too similar to "scummy". :)

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    2. Well, the extra "p" gives it a pop, like biting into a crunchy apple. Srummy makes me think of scrum, a rugby term. Now there wouldn't be anything wrong with it--a bunch of dirty, sweaty men in a huddle, am I right? Unfortunately, the word have been purloined by suits to descripe project management methods, and I still have nightmares about that. So scrumpy it is. :)

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  2. Can I point out the Brit term 'crumpet' for an attractive person (or 'bit of totty')? A scrummy crumpet would, I suppose, be scrumpy.

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