scofflaw

English

Etymology

From scoff +‎ law. Coined simultaneously by Mr Henry Irving Dale and Miss Kate L. Butler for a contest held in Boston in 1923 in which a word for "a lawless drinker of illegally made or illegally obtained liquor" was sought during the Prohibition era.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈskɔfˌlɔ/, /ˈskɒfˌlɔ/
• Hyphenation: scoff‧law

Noun

scofflaw (plural scofflaws)

1. (US) One who habitually violates minor laws or fails to answer trivial court summonses (such as parking tickets).
   • 1925, Wholesale Grocery Review:

     The scofflaw entered the scoflsloon. He leaned an elbow on the scoffbar and rested a foot on the scoffrail.
     'Waddle'y' have?" said the scoffbartender.
     "A little tea," said the scofflaw.

   • 1926, The Independent, volume 117:

     If we are to scour out the scofflaws, we must first remove those particular laws at which nearly everybody scoffs.

   • 1967, Police: The Journal Covering the Professional Interests of All Law Enforcement Personnel, volumes 12-13:

     Within six months, with the full cooperation of police throughout the state, the scofflaw rate was down to 22 per cent.

   • 1990, West's New York Supplement:

     At that time, appellant was informed that because there were unpaid tickets in the amount of $2,725.00, his Datsun had been declared a "scofflaw" car.

   • 2001: 10th International Conference on High-Occupancy Vehicle Systems: Compendium of Technical Papers

     The signage will make it clear that if a motorist is an HOV scofflaw (i.e., violator of the vehicle code driving in the HOV-Only zone) that they will be subject to HOV violation fine of at least $271.

   • 2001, J. G. Thirlwell (lyrics and music), “Heuldoch 7B”, in Flow, performed by Foetus:

     Unrepentant scofflaw on the lam
     Layin' waste to all the best-laid plans

   • 2013: A Decent, Orderly Lynching: The Montana Vigilantes by Frederick Allen (University of Oklahoma Press)

     Given Montana's continued, fretful association with various scofflaw organizations and its unwanted reputation as a place without speed limits or other boundaries on personal behavior, we might do well to acknowledge the excesses and inherent abuse of power carried out by men who for too many years refused to bow to the police and courts and rule of law.

See also

• law unto oneself