Meaning
In Liverpool speech, scran is informal everyday vocabulary for food, a meal, or something to eat.
How it is used
The University of Liverpool teaches scran as food in its newcomer Scouse material. Collins independently defines scran in British slang as food or provisions and dates the word to the eighteenth century, so the Liverpool association is strong current usage rather than a claim of Liverpool ownership.
Examples
- “Let's get some scran before the train.”
- “The scran in that café was boss.”
- “Have you brought any scran for later?”
Pronunciation
/skræn/ · SKRAN
Tone and register
Casual and neutral in everyday food talk; it can sound strongly informal but is not inherently humorous or dismissive.
Visitor guidance
Visitors can understand scran as food. It is natural in Liverpool, but hearing it elsewhere in Britain does not make that speaker Scouse.
Cultural context
Scran illustrates the difference between a locally salient word and an exclusive localism: it belongs comfortably in a Liverpool guide while also having a wider British distribution.
Origin
Collins records scran from the eighteenth century and says its origin is unknown. Maperla therefore records the older British history and Liverpool's current use separately.
Places represented
Open the reviewed place guide for each regional sense carried by this canonical entry.