scob

English

Etymology

The Scottish National Dictionary derives the weaving sense from earlier Scottish and Northern English dialectal use of scob to refer to a split or splinter or piece of wood, which it derives from the Middle Irish [Term?] source of Irish scolb (“splinter”); compare Scots skelf.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /skɒb/

Noun

scob (plural scobs)

1. (weaving) A flaw in which the weft misses a few warp threads.
   • 1846, George White, A practical treatise on weaving, page 123:

     A scob, again, is a blemish in the cloth arising from the interruption of the threads in shedding, preventing the proper interlacing of the warp and the weft.

   • 1863, John Wilson, The Theory and Practice of the Art of Weaving, page 114:

     The weft stopper will stop the loom when the weft is exhausted in the shuttle; and when a warp thread breaks in the shed in a position to make a scob or float, the scob preventor will also stop the loom, and an apparatus may also be applied to change the shuttle without stopping the loom;

   • 1881, Thomas Dykes, “When Wanlockhill Played New Cumheid”, in Stories of Scottish Sports, page 64:

     Ere she could obey his orders, however, the seed-box slipped to the floor, and from it rolled over thirty sixpences, the missing scobs in the weft, which Wattie had so carefully preserved for the winter's campaign.

   • 1900, Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons, Sessional Papers - Volume 11, page 39:

     I think the freedom from such casualties is due to the fact that, in Scotland, no woman works more than two looms, and thus can very quickly detect the formation of a 'scob' or any other defect which would cause a shuttle to fly.

2. (Winchester College) A wooden box with two lids, used as a storage box and movable desk.
   • 1878, Henry Cadwallader Adams, Wykehamica, page 146:

     Possessed of the keys, the boys broke into Mr. Goddard's apartments, and blocked up the passage of communication between them and the Warden's lodging with scobs.

   • 1936, John Sampson Furley, Winchester in 1867, page 23:

     In School we had our scobs, two rows of them on the north side, one on the south.

   • 2012, William A. Reid, Curriculum as Institution and Practice:

     Afternoon school [at Winchester] lasted from two till six; in the vast schoolroom, lighted at that time only by candles in the sconces; the boys sitting at their “scobs” or movable desks, while the commoners were accommodated also at friendly scobs, or sat at two long "commoner tables."

   • 2020, Malcolm Seaborne, The English School: Its Architecture and Organization 1370-1870:

     The need for a writing surface and space to store the larger number of books now being used by the pupils no doubt brought the scob into being.

Verb

scob (third-person singular simple present scobs, present participle scobbing, simple past and past participle scobbed)

1. (weaving) To create a scob.
   • 1846, George White, A practical treatise on weaving, page 75:

     But still it may be tripped by the shed in its course; or the work may be scobbed by the shuttle running under, or over, the shed

   • 1893, William Leggatt, Letterpress, page 70:

     To go beyond that is at the expense of the yarn, as it has then to bear an unnecessary strain, and it is apt to scob the warp and skift the weft while the shuttle is in motion .

   • 1915, Indian Industries and Power - Volume 12, page 363:

     This will take out the reed marks and, of course, by having the lower beams there is less liability to scobbing and skifting, which are great faults.

   • 1992, Nancy F. Cott, History of Women in the United States, page 632:

     This morning I have a letter from Laurence Hogan telling me that you have been scobbing in the mill since the murders and of course I am shocked to hear it.

2. (coal mining) To pack a wagon with large pieces on top so as to hide gaps resulting from it not being completely filled.
   • 1836, Selection of Reports and Papers of the House of Commons, page 86:

     Yes, that was one of the principal grievances; that a man should stand on the hill to see justice done between man and man; there may be what we call scobbing.

   • 2007, Drew Hudson, In the Field of Black Diamonds, page 116:

     James and the miners referred to it as “scobbing up the coal”, which merely meant that they were getting the last useable coal available from the mine.

3. To scrape or pound.
   • 1824, Mr Merryman, Comic songs and recitations, page 25:

     This lass, Nelly Long, was dressish and dapper, And tho' our Dick was a good-looking lad, She scobbed him, and scoffed him, for she was a snapper, And said as right how, that she war'nt to be had.

   • 1978, Baseball I Gave You All the Best Years of My Life, page 27:

     “Okay,” said the dark, barrel-chested kid, “Whynt we just have the same captains as yesterday?” “Yeah, but not the same teams.” “Too lopsided.” “That was a slaughter." “We got scobbed."

   • 1985, Richard Cooper, Zeb Vance: Leader in War and Peace, page 47:

     I met her on the mountain And there I tuck her life; I met her on the mountain And scobbed her with my knife.

   • 2008, Patricia Cornwell, Isle Of Dogs:

     “I scobbed him right in the nose and down he went ass-over-tin-cup!” he boasted.

   • 2009, Jacob Polley, Talk of the Town:

     I'm like the steel scaffoldin ovver the road when a scobbed stone's rung against a tube of it, cus I'm ringin with the shock, me hands clamped ter the edge of me mattress.

Derived terms

• scob someone's knob

See also

• scobs
• scobe (“onion sown late in the year; to scoop”)