Scottish word

[tomjones2004]

Meaning to scour or search.  Four letters _K__.

[Quizmonster]

Sker, a variant of skirr or scer.

[daddyg]

Skek although I've never had to spell it before so it may not be that.

[Quizmonster]

Click http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=skirr&x=18&y=11 and look at the entry that relates to Shakespeare. (It comes from his 'Macbeth' .) There, the variant I suggested earlier...'skirr'...is presented and the meaning suggested above is that it is a variety of 'scour'. 'Sker' is listed in Chambers Dictionary.  In a very long life as a Scotsman, I've never heard of 'skek'.

[daddyg]

Well as a fellow Scotsman working with other Scotsmen from all over the country I have to say this is very commonly used. However considering how impressive your Macbeth answer is I think I will have to concede defeat. Perhaps I should have a skek at Shakespeares works.

[daddyg]

Now I come to think of it I can honestly say I've never heard anyone use the word sker myself although I'm not that old but I do know alot of teuchters and it sounds like something they would say.

[Quizmonster]

I wonder, Daddyg, whether you are referring to �skech', where the �ch' is pronounced as in �loch' or �Johann Sebastian Bach'.  That means �a pleasant outing' in the north of Scotland at least...used by teuchters, as you choose to call them...as in: "We went for a skech to Inverness the other day." It's quite likely that it would be pronounced as �skek' by English people, in much the same way as they speak of �Lock Lomond', though I find it hard to imagine any Scotsman doing so. 

 

However, �skech' - or 'skek' - does not mean �scour' and �sker' does...or at least, did. Maybe I did not make it clear earlier, but both �skirr' and �sker' are old, virtually obsolete, words.  Indeed, apart from dictionaries, Shakespeare's usage is the only time I have ever seen �skirr' in print. �Skech', on the other hand, was still in daily use the last time I visited the far north.

[daddyg]

No definitely not skech either I'm afraid Quizmonster.As you say I would never pronounce ch as ck. The skek I am talking about would be used in the context of Gies a quick skek at the paper eg Give me a quick look at the paper. So whilst it maybe is not quite right as far as search or scour is concerned you may be able to see what I was getting at. This word is in daily use in the North East certainly but maybe it's a local word? When I moved to Aberdeen to serve my time I found that I didn't have a clue what people were on about even though I only lived 60 or 70 miles away.

[NoelEdgeLtd]

In Wigtownshire (west Galloway) "skech" means "attractive women". The term is typically used (very) informally by men. E.g. Q: "Wiz there ony skech at the dance the nicht?" A: "Aye, it wiz fair hoachin'!"
Note that "...with skech" is implied in the response though this could be added for emphasis.