The Evolution of the Term 'Scab'

The word 'scab' was an insult for a worthless person long before it had anything to do with

unions. We all know the term from strikes, for someone who crosses the picket

line. And yes, it’s related to the crust on a wound, but the journey

is wild. Back in the 1500s, 'scab' became slang for a scoundrel, a totally disreputable

person. The thinking was that a low-life might be covered in sores and scabs

from disease. It was a nasty insult. Then, in the late 1700s, people started using

that same term for workers who refused to join a union. An old shoemakers' guide from 1792

even called a scab a 'traitor to his trade.' By the 1800s, it specifically meant a strikebreaker.