scaldrum dodge
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
A beggar's trick of burning the body with a mixture of acids and gunpowder, so as to appear to have been injured in an accident.
Register: slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
a dodge in use among begging impostors of burning the body with a mixture of acids and gunpowder, so as to suit the hues and complexions of any accident to be deplored by a confiding public.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “scaldrum dodge” mean?
A beggar's trick of burning the body with a mixture of acids and gunpowder, so as to appear to have been injured in an accident.
Is “scaldrum dodge” formal or informal?
scaldrum dodge is generally slang.