scroot

[Michael Sheehan]

Can someone direct me to the origin of scroot, meaning a mutt?
Citations:

o     1907 October, Josephine Tozier, A Spring Fortnight in France, Dodd,
page 183,
           "...I would be willing to ride in any kind of a car. I would
even go in a scroot, if
           necessary."
           "What in the world is a scroot, Margot?"
           "It is only my name for one of those nasty little, smelly,
noisy, ancient automobiles
           that go shaking past our country place at home. I stole the word
from papa. It is
           what he calls a ragged little cur, just plain dog. My scroot is
just plain ragged
           motor, without fancy trimmings."
o     1920, Herschel S. Hall, Steel Preferred, E.P. Dutton, page 34,
           "The young whelp!" he roared to Nicker. "The yellow scroot! Why,
the bloody
           little boozer!"
o     2005, Edgar Martin, Boots and the Mystery of the Unlucky Vase,
Kessinger Publishing, ISBN 1417986026, chapter 4,
       page 73,
           The blamed hound, the mangy scroot!

___________________________________
Michael J. Sheehan
The Senior Corner, TADL
http://seniors.tcnet.org
________________________________________



**************
Make your summer sizzle with fast and easy recipes for the
grill. (http://food.aol.com/grilling?ncid=emlcntusfood00000005)

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org