harum-scarum

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   reckless, disorderly, and lacking careful thought

   Aunt Sally described the boys as a harum-scarum lot.

2. 2
   adv

   in a wild, hasty, or disorderly manner

   The children rushed harum-scarum through the open gate.

3. 3
   noun

   a reckless or impetuous person

   The young harum-scarum ignored every warning and leaped from the wall.

A rhyming formation attested from the late seventeenth century. Its exact origin is uncertain; it may echo hare 'em, scare 'em, a phrase suggesting reckless pursuit and confusion.

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