Unscarfed

Last week’s random word was one that had been unfamiliar to me; I had to look it up and even read the definition multiple times to catch its precision. This week also brings an unfamiliar word, but with a pretty obvious meaning. Unscarfed is defined as not wearing a scarf, or not eaten (ie. not scarfed down). Yeah, that second meaning would be considered “informal”, at best. Only two meanings, and only an adjective. In contrast, the definitions of “scarf” are much more interesting and varied. It made me wonder if unscarf should be expanded…

It seems that someone who removed a scarf could say they unscarfed, just as they would have said they undressed when they removed their clothes, and we’d have a verb. But if we allow unscarfed to refer to the removal of a scarf, then what effect would that have in the slang meaning, after someone has scarfed too much food too quickly? Unpleasant to imagine, but maybe a new euphemism to replace “blew cookies”.
Another interesting point that wasn’t my first thought was that a scarf is not just a long knit rectangle to keep our necks warm in the winter, but also a headscarf, worn over the head and hair. My grandmother used to wear a scarf over her hair after finishing at the hairdresser. I suppose it was to protect from the wind; it certainly couldn’t have been warm. Almost transparent, barely any weight at all, and she only wore it outside. When she was inside, she would be unscarfed.
Many woman all over the world wear headscarfs for religious/modesty reasons, and often abandon the scarfs when they are “westernized”. For the devout, then, unscarfed would be a bad thing: corrupted. Or vulnerable. There is a pivotal scene in the movie, Witness, where Kelly McGillis’ Amish character removes her head covering, symbolizing vulnerability and perhaps defiance, as well.
On a more personal level, this week sees the end of boot camp and infantry training for my youngest child, who joined the Army National Guard in the Spring, and we’ve hardly gotten to see him since. It will be a proud moment to see him graduate, but seeing him daily will be a pretty good thing. And much of the unscarfed food in our cabinet will only survive a few days longer before he arrives and begins his “debriefing activities”.