[knittnmom]

Is there a new meaning to "scoff" that hasn't made it to the dictionaries yet?

World English Dictionary scoff 1 (skɒf) — vb (often foll by at ) 1. to speak contemptuously (about); express derision (for); mock 2. obsolete ( tr ) to regard with derision — n 3. an expression of derision 4. an object of derision [C14: probably from Scandinavian; compare Old Frisian skof mockery, Danish skof, skuf jest]

[Joe Brower]

That was my observation as well. I believe the intended term is 'scarf up', and while the definition of 'scarf' is even in keeping with the original slang, it's a term I've heard for a long while.

This sort of error in usage is akin to how often people spell 'lose' loose, as in 'I hate to loose'. That's just plain dumb. IMHO, of course. $:-)

[Boogieman]

I think they must have meant “scarf” not “scoff”. Maybe the writer’s from Boston where the r is silent :)

[BfloGuy]

Is there a new meaning to "scoff" that hasn't made it to the dictionaries yet?

I know. I couldn't even understand the headline till I read the article. Isn't it "scarf" up?

[BfloGuy]

Is there a new meaning to "scoff"

Or maybe the writer is a poor speller from New York writing "scarf" phonetically.

[caveat emptor]

Is there a new meaning to "scoff" that hasn't made it to the dictionaries yet?

It's complicated; scarf is more recent than "scoff", which is more recent than "scaff"

scarf
verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
Slang
to eat, especially voraciously (often followed by down or up ): to scarf down junk food.

Origin: 1955–60, Americanism ; variant of scoff² , with r inserted probably through r-dialect speakers' mistaking the underlying vowel as an r-less ar

"Scoff" was preceded by scaff²

scoff² Slang .
verb (used without object), verb (used with object)
1. to eat voraciously.
noun
2. food; grub.

Origin: 1855–60; earlier scaff; origin uncertain