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Is there a good substitute for the word "scarper" in American English?

English Language & Usage Asked by ukayer on May 17, 2021

I used quick, let’s scarper before the boss comes back to inject some levity into a recent meeting, but got only blank stares for my trouble. When asked to explain scarper to my American chums, all I could think of was you know, as in “scarper lads, it’s the filth”, i.e. run away quickly before the police catch you, but run away quickly really doesn’t convey the essence of this truly useful word. Is there a good American English equivalent?

Note: it is difficult to convey the exact context. Imagine high school kids (not the good ones) deciding to try and evade the deans, or maybe a bunch of dropouts or low-level criminals about to get caught breaking in.

22 Answers

Depending on the age and ethnicity of your co-workers, "bounce" may work quite well in this context.

The urban dictionary's most popular definition (warning: potentially offensive link) lists "bounce" as:

v. to exit a location/situation.

I think it has a similar connotation to "scarper" to some groups in the US, although not all groups use this term.

Correct answer by Zoot on May 17, 2021

I don't know how American it is, but "vamoose" has a few hits in COCA.

Answered by Peter Taylor on May 17, 2021

Perhaps absquatulate is the word you are looking for, although that might be getting on a bit now. You might also try skedaddle, which appears to be aging rather better.

Answered by Brian Hooper on May 17, 2021

'Scram!' or the old Bugs Bunny, Pig Latin version, 'Am-scray!'

Answered by user3444 on May 17, 2021

I think book comes closest, both in meaning and degree of colloquialness, as in: "Look, John's coming in. I owe him money, so I gotta book. See you later."

Answered by Robusto on May 17, 2021

Cheese it! The police!

or

I saw them coming up the street so I broke.

Answered by WAF on May 17, 2021

Maybe it's regional and obscure, but in that context I might use fly.

Quick, let's fly before the boss comes back.

Dang, I'm late. Gotta fly.

Answered by ghoppe on May 17, 2021

Let's beat it, just beat it...

Answered by mplungjan on May 17, 2021

Several options:

Let's get out of here before the boss comes back

Simple, easy to understand, and if you want to make it more informal, you can just add an intensifier such as "the hell" or some other flavor of the same.

Let's dodge before the boss comes back

Or

Let's get the .... out of Dodge before the boss comes back

Answered by Sylverdrag on May 17, 2021

I would have thought "scarper" was a reasonably well known word.

Apparently the original meaning derives from cockney rhyming slang: To "Scarpa flow" meaning to "go".

How about some of these:

"Leg it" "Make yourself scarce" "Vamoose" "Get out of here" "Blow this joint"

Or if your audience has seen Snatch (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0208092/) you might like to say:

"Avi, pull your socks up!"

Answered by Tom Ravenscroft on May 17, 2021

I hear "split" a lot but it's more correct to use when you are parting company. It wouldn't be as common when the entire group is leaving to move elsewhere (as a group).

Let's split before the cops find us.

I also hear "jet" particularly when time is pressing.

I hate to interrupt, but I gotta jet...
We gotta jet if we want to make the 10:15 show...

Answered by Mark Peters on May 17, 2021

Scamper? Flee? ... Could be synonyms to "Scarper" in general...

Answered by JFW on May 17, 2021

Pretty sure the American for scarper is skedaddle. Amscray, the Pig Latin for scram, is also particularly idiomatically appropriate to your particular case.

Answered by chaos on May 17, 2021

Although personally a fan of "skedaddle," another common phrase for this is "bug out."

Answered by Tom Hughes on May 17, 2021

I can't believe no one's tossed "run" or "run for it" out yet. That's the word we used in my high school, not even a full year ago, when we joked about all running out of the classroom when the teacher stepped out for a minute, which I think is something like what you're talking talking about. :)

"Quick! (Let's )run for it before she gets back!" or just "Quick! Run! Before she gets back!" is what I'd say.

.....Although I have to admit "Lock the door!" was more common. ;)

Answered by kitukwfyer on May 17, 2021

I don't know how popular these are, but they are all American words meaning exactly what you're talking about (if they're not known it's probably because they're mostly used by high school kids running from the cops).

Dip (ie: Let's dip from the cops! They dipped out from the corner store.), Bounce (same thing), and Roll (more casual)

Answered by Peter Cameron on May 17, 2021

Personally, I've never heard "scarper". However, in (especially) American English, "scamper" is quite common, and would be the word I would use.

What is the origin of "scarper"?

Answered by rpcameron on May 17, 2021

Show your American Chums Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban and ask them to check out Ron Weasley's rat Scarpers's behavior (running away). That would better aid them better to understand what Scarper means.

Answered by ikartik90 on May 17, 2021

We'd use "jet", "ditch", "run", or "bounce" really depending on the day. In the context of a boss, I'd probably go with "jet" or "ditch".

"Let's ditch the meeting before the boss shows up..."

Answered by Spyplane on May 17, 2021

Dipset!

Let's dipset, it's the fuzz!

Answered by Claudiu on May 17, 2021

Beat it and scram are my top picks from the answers above. Here are my two cents:

Make a run for it

Let's blow before the cops get here. (as in blow like the wind)

Make like the wind

Let's get outta here.

Skip town before the cops get here.

Let's hustle before they find us. (very 70s)

Answered by Sky Red on May 17, 2021

I remember this from old British mysteries, I think either Dorothy L. Sayers or the Albert Campion books. Scarper is linked to gypsy talk (Romany). The gypsies said "scarpa." I would argue against "scamper" as the US equivalent. Squirrels scamper. Thugs scarper.

Answered by Reader on May 17, 2021

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