Ask About English!!!! Q7 "scav" "schnitzel"

Hi, I'm back with two more questions on English slang:

In the aforementioned online dictionary of UK slang, www.peevish.co.uk, it
says that scav is short for scavenger or to scavenge. I understand that
scavenger in UK juvenile slang is used as a general insult and that the verb
to scavenge means pilfer. Is this all I need to know or is there more to it?

Second question: According to Cassell's Dictionary of Slang, schnitzel can
mean penis or be used as a term of abuse.Can it also be used as a pejorative
term for a German, as a synonym for kraut, Jerry or Fritz?

Your help will be much appreciated.


Hi,

Scav is short for scavenger, as you ponted out. The slang usage is two-fold.

1) the noun: a scav - someone who is a relentless beggar and implies they are likely to take things which had been thrown away. It is also used as general insult

example: "Dom is such a scav; he is always eating crisps off the floor'"

2) the verb: to scav - to borrow or steal something from someone. It is not necessarily negative when used as a verb.

examples: "Can I scav a lift off you?" "Can I scav a fag off you?" (basically: "Can I borrow..?")
"Nick scavs a lot, I don't really like him" (negative)

I have never heard of using the word schnitzel for penis. However the word wiener (from Wiener schnitzel) is commonly used in this way. I have never heard or found any reference to its use as a general insult towards German people.

Hope this helps

Matt