The term was originally used by souther farmers after the civil war to characterize
the actions of small worthless animals. After the Civil War, it took the meaning of a
republican sympathizer in the South who was poor and seeking wealth. Origins also include
western New York, meaning "a mean fellow, a scapegrace"; Scottish for "scurryvaig", "a vagabond",
with possible latin roots meaning "scurra vagas"; and A Dictionary of Americanisms says
it could come from the word "scallag" used in Scotland for "a servant, rustic."
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