Scratch vs Ruin - What's the difference?
scratch | ruin | Related terms |
To rub a surface with a sharp object, especially by a living creature to remove itching with nails, claws, etc.
* Jonathan Swift
To rub the skin with rough material causing a sensation of irritation.
To mark a surface with a sharp object, thereby leaving a scratch (noun).
To remove, ignore or delete.
(music) To produce a distinctive sound on a turntable by moving a vinyl record back and forth while manipulating the crossfader (see also ).
(billiards) To commit a foul in pool, as where the cue ball is put into a pocket or jumps off the table.
(billiards, dated, US) To score, not by skilful play but by some fortunate chance of the game.
To write or draw hastily or awkwardly.
* Jonathan Swift
To dig or excavate with the claws.
(lb) A disruption, mark or shallow cut on a surface made by scratching.
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:
*(William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)
*:God forbid a shallow scratch should drive / The prince of Wales from such a field as this.
*(Joseph Moxon) (1627-1691)
*:The coarse filemakes deep scratches in the work.
*1709 , (Matthew Prior), ''
*:These nails with scratches deform my breast.
*
*:Thus, when he drew up instructions in lawyer language, he expressed the important words by an initial, a medial, or a final consonant, and made scratches for all the words between; his clerks, however, understood him very well.
*{{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham)
, title=(The China Governess)
, chapter=Foreword An act of scratching the skin to alleviate an itch or irritation.
:
(lb)
#A starting line (originally and simply, a line scratched in the ground), as in boxing.
#:(Grose)
#A technical error of touching or surpassing the starting mark prior to the official start signal in the sporting events of long jump, discus, hammer throw, shot put, and similar. Originally the starting mark was a scratch on the ground but is now a board or precisely indicated mark.
#(lb) An aberration.
##A foul in pool, as where the cue ball is put into a pocket or jumps off the table.
## A shot which scores by chance and not as intended by the player; a fluke.
(label) Money.
*2006 , (Clive James), North Face of Soho , Picador 2007, p. 153:
*:He and Bruce cooked up a script together, and Bruce flew home to raise the scratch .
A feed, usually a mixture of a few common grains, given to chickens.
(lb) Minute, but tender and troublesome, excoriations, covered with scabs, upon the heels of horses which have been used where it is very wet or muddy.
*1887 , James Law, The Farmer's Veterinary Adviser
*:These are exemplified in the scurfy, scaly affections which appear in the bend of the knee (mallenders) and hock (sallenders) and on the lower parts of the limbs, by scratches , and by a scaly exfoliation.
A kind of wig covering only a portion of the head.
For or consisting of preliminary or tentative, incomplete, etc. work.
Hastily assembled; put together in a hurry or from disparate elements.
* 1988 , James McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom , Oxford 2004, p. 740:
(computing, from scratchpad) Relating to a data structure or recording medium attached to a machine for testing or temporary use.
Constructed from whatever materials are to hand.
(sports) (of a player) Of a standard high enough to play without a handicap, i.e. to compete without the benefit of a variation in scoring based on ability.
* {{quote-book
, year=1964
, author=Charles Price
, title=The American golfer
, page=48
, passage=... the shot that does most to make a genuine scratch golfer is the mashie shot up to the pin — not merely up to the green.}}
Made, done, or happening by chance; arranged with little or no preparation; determined by circumstances; haphazard.
The remains of a destroyed or dilapidated construction, such as a house or castle.
*(Joseph Addison) (1672–1719)
*:The Veian and the Gabian towers shall fall, / And one promiscuous ruin' cover all; / Nor, after length of years, a stone betray / The place where once the very ' ruins lay.
*(Joseph Stevens Buckminster) (1751-1812)
*:The labour of a day will not build up a virtuous habit on the ruins of an old and vicious character.
*{{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
, chapter=Foreword (lb) The state of being a ruin, destroyed or decayed.
:
(lb) Something that leads to serious trouble or destruction.
:
*(Francis Bacon) (1561-1626)
*:The errors of young men are the ruin of business.
*
*:The Bat—they called him the Bat.. Most lone wolves had a moll at any rate—women were their ruin —but if the Bat had a moll, not even the grapevine telegraph could locate her.
(lb) A fall or tumble.
*(George Chapman) (1559-1634)
*:His ruin startled the other steeds.
A change that destroys or defeats something; destruction; overthrow.
:
*(Thomas Gray) (1716-1771)
*:Ruin seize thee, ruthless king!
to cause the ruin of.
* 1883 ,
To destroy or make something no longer usable.
* Longfellow
To upset or mess up the plans or progress of, or to put into disarray; to spoil.
Scratch is a related term of ruin.
As nouns the difference between scratch and ruin
is that scratch is (lb) a disruption, mark or shallow cut on a surface made by scratching while ruin is .As a verb scratch
is to rub a surface with a sharp object, especially by a living creature to remove itching with nails, claws, etc.As an adjective scratch
is for or consisting of preliminary or tentative, incomplete, etc work.scratch
English
(wikipedia scratch)Verb
(es)- Could you please scratch my back?
- Be mindful, when invention fails, / To scratch your head, and bite your nails.
- I don't like that new scarf because it scratches my neck.
- A real diamond can easily scratch a pane of glass.
- Scratch what I said earlier; I was wrong.
- When the favorite was scratched from the race, there was a riot at the betting windows.
- Embarrassingly, he scratched on the break, popping the cue completely off the table.
- Scratch out a pamphlet.
- Some animals scratch holes, in which they burrow.
Derived terms
* scratch one's head * scratch the surface * scratcher * scratchpad * scratchy * scratch an itch * Old ScratchSynonyms
* scrattleNoun
(es)Henry and Emma, line 503
citation, passage=A very neat old woman, still in her good outdoor coat and best beehive hat, was sitting at a polished mahogany table on whose surface there were several scored scratches so deep that a triangular piece of the veneer had come cleanly away, […].}}
Derived terms
* from scratch * scratch-built * start from scratch * Old ScratchAdjective
(-)- This is scratch paper, so go ahead and scribble whatever you want on it.
- Bluecoats began crossing the James on June 14 and next day two corps approached Petersburg, which was held by Beauregard with a scratch force of 2,500.
- a scratch''' team; a '''scratch''' crew for a boat race; a '''scratch shot in billiards
- a scratch race: one without restrictions regarding the entry of competitors
Derived terms
* scratch monkey * scratch sheetReferences
* *The Jargon File - Scratch
ruin
English
Noun
(en noun)citation, passage=A canister of flour from the kitchen had been thrown at the looking-glass and lay like trampled snow over the remains of a decent blue suit with the lining ripped out which lay on top of the ruin of a plastic wardrobe.}}
Verb
(en verb)- In one way, indeed, he bade fair to ruin us; for he kept on staying week after week, and at last month after month, so that all the money had been long exhausted...
- He ruined his new white slacks by accidentally spilling oil on them.
- By the fireside there are old men seated, / Seeling ruined cities in the ashes.
- My car breaking down just as I was on the road ruined my vacation.
