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Upscuddle, Upscuttle

An upscuddle, also spelled upscuttle, is defined in both the Dictionary of American Regional English and the Dictionary of Southern Appalachian English (Bookshop|Amazon) as a type of quarrel. A 1913 reference uses the term this way: “If they quarrel, it is a ruction, a rippit, a jower, or an upscuddle—so be it there are no fatalities which would amount to a real fray.” Upscuddle originated in Ireland and Scotland, and scuttle is an old dialectal term meaning “to take part in a street feud.”

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