Been Out Swarping or Sworping

Homer in Kingsport, Tennessee, says that when Homer came in after curfew, his dad would say, “You guys have been out swarping, haven’t you?” Swarping is related to a variety of dialect terms in Scotland and Northern England that have to do with swiping, swapping, swinging, striking, and warping. With the insertion of an R, as can occur in certain dialect pronunciations, swipe or swap becomes swarp or sworp. A dress that moves in a swinging motion might be said to be swarpy. One can take a swarp with a rake by using a swinging motion. By extension, swarping can also mean getting into mischief or behaving in a boisterous manner. This is part of a complete episode.