Word Origins

*SKEDADDLE

The earliest recorded use for the American skedaddle, “to flee precipitously,” that has been found is 1861. It is perhaps an alteration of British dialect scaddle to run off in a fright, from scaddle, adjective, wild, timid, skittish, from Middle English scathel, skadylle harmful, fierce, wild, of Scandinavian origin. Some have claimed Swedish and Danish origins, but no one really knows for sure. Thus various writers claim to have traced it to the Greek skedannumi, “rout”; the Welsh ysgudaw, “to scud about”; and the Irish sgedadol, “scattered.”

*Inspired by Charles Funk (1881–1957)