scarper

scarper
\ \ [19] Scarper entered English in the mid- 19th century by way of the underworld slang of criminals, who probably got it from Italian scappareget away’ (a relative of English escape). It remained a subcultural vocabulary item until the early years of the 20th century, and its rise in prominence then may have been partly due to the coincidental Cockney rhyming slang use of Scapa Flow (the name of a naval anchorage in the Orkney Islands) for ‘go’.
\ \ Indeed, from the 1930s onwards scarper has often been spelled scarpa or even scapa.

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • scarper — ► VERB Brit. informal ▪ run away. ORIGIN probably from Italian scappare to escape , influenced by rhyming slang Scapa Flow «go» …   English terms dictionary

  • scarper — [skär′pər] vi. [ult. < It scappare, to run away, escape < LL * excappare, ESCAPE] [Brit. Slang] to run away or depart; decamp …   English World dictionary

  • scarper — UK [ˈskɑː(r)pə(r)] / US [ˈskɑrpər] verb [intransitive] Word forms scarper : present tense I/you/we/they scarper he/she/it scarpers present participle scarpering past tense scarpered past participle scarpered British informal to leave a place very …   English dictionary

  • scarper — [19] Scarper entered English in the mid 19th century by way of the underworld slang of criminals, who probably got it from Italian scappare ‘get away’ (a relative of English escape). It remained a subcultural vocabulary item until the early years …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • scarper — verb /ˈskɑː(ɹ).pə(ɹ)/ To run away; to flee; to escape. Helm writes: As if she were some street criminal, ready to scarper, Ruths home was swooped upon by [Assistant Commissioner John] Yatess men and she was forced to dress in the presence of a… …   Wiktionary

  • scarper — intransitive verb Etymology: probably ultimately from Italian scappare, from Vulgar Latin *excappare more at escape Date: circa 1846 British flee, run away; broadly leave, depart …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • scarper — /skahr peuhr/, v.i. Brit. to flee or depart suddenly, esp. without having paid one s bills. [1840 50; orig. argot, prob. < Polari It scappare to flee (see ESCAPE)] * * * …   Universalium

  • scarper — scar|per [ˈska:pə US ˈska:rpər] v [i]BrE informal [Date: 1800 1900; Origin: Probably from Italian scappare to escape ] to run away ▪ They scarpered without paying their bill …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • scarper — scarp|er [ skarpər ] verb intransitive BRITISH INFORMAL to leave a place very quickly and suddenly …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • scarper — Meaning Go, from Scapa Flow. Origin Cockney rhyming slang …   Meaning and origin of phrases

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