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harum scarum

 - 2 dictionary results

har⋅um-scar⋅um

[hair-uhm-skair-uhm, har-uhm-skar-uhm]
–adjective
1. reckless; rash; irresponsible: He had a harum-scarum youth.
2. disorganized; uncontrolled.
–adverb
3. recklessly; wildly: He ran harum-scarum all over the place.
–noun
4. a reckless person.
5. reckless or unpredictable behavior or action.

Origin:
1665–75; earlier harum-starum rhyming compound based on obs. hare to harass + stare


har⋅um-scar⋅um⋅ness, noun


1, 2. erratic, impulsive, impetuous; giddy, scatterbrained.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Word Origin & History

harum-scarum 
1674, probably a compound of obsolete hare "harry" + scare, with 'um as a reduced form of them.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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