scritch-scratchint.n.
/ˈskrɪtʃˌskratʃ/, U.S. /ˈskrɪtʃˌskrætʃ/ A. int.
Representing a repeated scratching or scraping sound. Cf. scritch int.
ΚΠ
1823 London Mag. July 4 Scritch—scratch.—Poh! you're making, Truly, a pretty piece of business of it; scrawling, Blotting [etc.].
1883 Prairie Farmer 6 Jan. 12/4 Scritch-scratch goes the rapid pen.
1921 Youth's Compan. 20 Jan. 41/1 All at once she heard a faint sound under her window. Scritch-scratch—scritch-scratch.
1987 N. Amer. Rev. Sept. 97/1 The tree frogs outside went scritch-scratch like nails on a chalkboard.
2010 J. Jango-Cohen Let's look at Armadillos (2011) 18 They dig! Scritch-scratch! Quick as a flash, an armadillo digs a small hole and hides inside.
B. n.
A repeated scratching or scraping sound. Cf. scritch n.2, scritch-scratching n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > unpleasant quality > harsh or discordant quality > [noun] > scratching or scraping
scraping1561
scrabbling1582
screed?a1669
scratching1776
scratch1787
scritch-scratch1842
scrooping1849
scroopa1859
scrattling1861
scritch-scratching1881
scrape1886
scritch1953
1842 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. 51 320 One could not work; he never could whilst men were making such a scritch-scratch with their pens.
1921 Harper's Bazaar Aug. 41/1 Solitary nights..broken by a wolf cry or the scritch-scratch of his phonograph.
1953 C. McMeekin Room at Inn ii. 24 You heard that scritch-scratch?.. It could be a tree branch rubbin'.
1977 Time 14 Feb. 33/2 At any hour of the day or night one can hear the scritch-scratch of individual snow shovels.
2013 Daily Tel. (Nexis) 19 Oct. 27 The scritch-scratch of a leaf-rake over the ground.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2018; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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int.n.1823