scran

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

Pieces of meat, broken victuals. Formerly the reckoning at a public-house. SCRANNING, or "out on the SCRAN," begging for broken victuals. Also, an Irish malediction of a mild sort, "Bad SCRAN to yer!" i.e., bad food to you.

Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)

Where it’s used: Origin British & Irish English
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 “scran” mean?

Pieces of meat, broken victuals. Formerly the reckoning at a public-house. SCRANNING, or "out on the SCRAN," begging for broken victuals. Also, an Irish malediction of a mild sort, "Bad SCRAN to yer!" i.e., bad food to you.

Is “scran” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.