"Schivi"

[Tom Dalzell]

For "schivi," check out THE PHILADELPHIA DIALECT DICTIONARY by Claudio
R. Salvucci (Evolution Publishing, 1996).  He lists "skeeve" as a verb
(to disgust) from the Italian "schifare" and "skeevie" as a noun for
somthing disgusting.  He cites a March 1976 article in the Philadelphia
Magazine, "How to Talk Like a Philadelphian Part II."  Salvucci writes:
"It is in frequent use among those of Italian dscent;whether it occurs
outside this ethnic group I cannot say."

Tom Dalzell
Berkeley, California



Laurence Horn wrote:

> At 10:56 AM -0400 5/11/00, Frank Abate wrote:
> >My teenage kids use "skeevy" in the 'gross' or 'questionable' sense, esp.
> >my 18-year old Connecticut-raised daughter.  It is not at all part of the
> >slang of my (I'm 49) Ohio/Michigan-raised generation.
> >
> >Frank Abate
> >
> >
> Quick survey of my Connecticut household reveals skeevy familiarity only
> for 15-  year-old daughter.  18-year-old son and two adults totally
> unfamiliar with it.  (Well, before today I was, anyway.)
>
> L