Scram
/skræm/noun
An informal command meaning to leave quickly or go away.
Did you know?‘Scram’ is first recorded in American English in the early 20th century, and its sudden, punchy sound helped it feel like an instant verbal expulsion rather than a polite request.
Etymological Timeline
Early 20th Century
English
scram
“A brusque command meaning ‘leave quickly.’”
Possibly 19th Century
English
scram!
“An exclamation used to drive someone away.”
Uncertain
English dialect / slang
scram
“Likely a clipped or altered slang formation, with no securely established older root.”
Modern English
English
scram
“An informal verb meaning to depart immediately.”