Harum-scarum

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Harum-scarum \Har"um-scar"um\ (h[^a]r"[u^]m*sk[^a]r"[u^]m), a.
     [Cf. hare,v. t., and scare, v. t.]
     Wild; giddy; flighty; rash; thoughtless. [Colloq.]
     [1913 Webster]
  
           They had a quarrel with Sir Thomas Newcome's own son, a


           harum-scarum lad.                        --Thackeray.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  harum-scarum
       adj : cheerfully irresponsible; "carefree with his money";
             "freewheeling urban youths"; "had a harum-scarum youth"
             [syn: {carefree}, {devil-may-care}, {freewheeling}, {happy-go-lucky},
              {slaphappy}]
       n : a reckless impetuous irresponsible person [syn: {daredevil},
            {madcap}, {hothead}, {swashbuckler}, {lunatic}]
       adv : in a wild or reckless manner; "dashing harum-scarum all over
             the place"; "running pell-mell up the stairs" [syn: {pell-mell}]