scribess

English

Etymology

From scribe +‎ -ess.

Noun

scribess (plural scribesses)

1. (dated) A female scribe.
   • 1885 August 27, The Central News, volume V, number 221, Perkasie, Pa., page [2], column 4:

     We now have among the Scribes and Scribesses of the News a “Katie” and a “Katie-Did.” We confess to a tenderness for the name of Katie. It reminds us of the happy days of the not very distant past when we were fond of quoting to a certain Katie who now shares the joys and sorrows of Nosco these lines: “O tell me where did Katy live, / And what did Katy do? And was she very fair and young, / And yet so wicked too? Did Katy love a naughty man, / Or kiss more cheeks than one? I warrant Katy did no more / Than many a Kate has done.”

   • 1887 February 27, “Points from Plains. A Correspondent Lets Loose on Another of the Guild. Hot Shots from a Bold Critic. A Sorry Attempt to Belittle the Work Of a Pedagogue–People Tired of News - Dealer Twaddle–Emmet’s Birthday.”, in Sunday Morning Leader, volume 2, number 15, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., page 8, column 3:

     What can the erudite scribesses mean by “successful directors?” Certainly they were successful or else they would not receive the certificates of election. When their terms as directors cease you can safely say that they will still be successful.

   • 1899 June 10, “The “Bulletin,” the “Freeman,” and Amy Castles”, in The Freeman’s Journal, volume L, number 3153, Sydney, N.S.W., section “The Evidence Against the “Bulletin.” Specimens Of “Pure Truth” and “Honest Record.””, subsection “Exhibit E.”, page 21, column 4:

     Miss Amy Castles, the Bendigo warbler, presented to Melb. audiences in loose hair and a rather short frock, was born at Capel-street, Melb., in July, 1880, says the register. This comes rather rough on the enthusiastic scribesses (including a Bulletin scribess) who put Miss Amy’s age down as 17, and gave her credit for looking two years younger, which she certainly doesn’t.

   • 1902 April 15, O. C. Sigworth, “Correspondent Sigworth Dreams of a Banquet: That Was Not Held in Marble Halls, but It Was “a Beaut,” Just the Same, Until He Awoke—A Very Readable Conceit”, in Franklin Evening News, 25th year, number 7,406, Franklin, Pa., page 1, column 5:

     As Mr. [Marion] Brown is a young man of uncertain age and quite a lover of the beautiful in the ladies, and as our scribesses were out in all the pomp and heraldry befitting their rank, and each one wearing her Sunday smile, Marion was as happy as a little dog with a pink ribbon tied to the end of his tail.

   • 1902 June 26, “Editorial Outing. Eighth District Scribes Visit the Coal Regions.”, in The Central News, volume XXII, number 1099, Perkasie, Pa., front page, column 1:

     The weary scribes and scribesses then sought blissful repose at the Wyoming Hotel, where they were the guests for three days, eating the best in the land, and sleeping as soundly as little children.

   • 1903, Tom Collins [pseudonym; Joseph Furphy], “Sat. Feb. 9. Runnymede. To Alf Jones’s.”, in Such Is Life: Being Certain Extracts from the Diary of Tom Collins, Sydney, N.S.W.: The Bulletin Newspaper Company, […], page 207:

     We might advantageously copy women-writers here. Woman, in the nature of things, must accumulate dirt, as we do; and she must now and then wash that dirt off, or it would be there still. (Like St. Paul, I speak as a man.) But the scribess never parades her ablutions on the printed page. If, for instance, you could prevail upon the whole galaxy of Australian authoresses and pen-women to attend a Northern Victoria Agricultural Show, in their literary capacity, you would see proof of this.

   • 1905 July 26, S. H. Blan, “Editorial House Party”, in The Troy Messenger, volume 42, number 21, Troy, Ala., page [3], column 3:

     A splendid time is anticipated by the scribes and “scribesses” during the coming week.

   • 1906 September 9, H. M. Ayres, “Topics: Tropic and Otherwise”, in Sunday Advertiser, volume IV, number 193, Honolulu, Haw., page 4, column 1:

     The visiting scribes and scribesses are bent on pleasure. The tradespeople should see to it that they don’t get broke.

   • 1915 August 17, “Editorial Crowd is ‘Finest Ever’”, in The Redondo Reflex, volume XI, number 52, Redondo Beach, Calif., page one, column 3:

     On the whole, it’s a jolly good thing the Pacific ocean is conveniently at hand to take care if the overflow of 160 scribes, scribesses and little scriblers in attendance at the twenty-seventh annual summer outing of the Southern California Editorial Association.

   • 1917, P. L. P., The Postage Stamp, page 140:

     If that is so, may ’seventeen / Bring many great successes / To England’s cause, and fortune screen / All scribes and all scribesses!

   • 1920 December 4, “Town Criers Club Meets Dec. 14, Special Stunts”, in The Knoxville Sentinel, volume XXXIV, number 290, Knoxville, Tenn., page 16, column 5:

     All the scribes and scribesses as members of the Town Criers club are called to meet on Tuesday night, December 14, at 7:30 p. m., in private dining room of the Business Men’s club.

   • 1923 May, the Tatler, “High Life in Hollywood: The Playhour of the Playfolks”, in Myron Zobel, editor, Screenland, volume VI, number 8, Chicago, Ill.: The Screenland Publishing Company, pages 75–76:

     The Tatler quotes from “Nerissa Nut’s” official account of the great event: “For years people have been asking favors of scribesses with never a thought of handing them a diamond tiara or a block of oil stock. It was a bright day, therefore, for those who wield the power of the press fluently with one finger when Mrs. George Melford descended from her castle on the hill to do missionary work among the great unmounted order of Amalgamated Copy Cats.

   • 1925 September 30, “Are These Scribes and “Scribesses” of the Future?”, in The Salt Lake Tribune, volume 111, number 169, Salt Lake City, Ut., page 12, column 1:

     Are These Scribes and “Scribesses” of the Future? / Step right up, folks, and meet The Tribune children!

   • 1927 June 13, J.W.C., “The Rear Seat”, in The Sioux City Journal, volume 58, number 48, Sioux City, Ia., section “Our Three Journalistic Graces”, page four, column 3:

     Three country scribesses, printing what is new / Rachel hied big citywards—and then there were two.

   • 1928, John Drury, “Thursday”, in Chicago in Seven Days, New York, N.Y.: Robert M[edill] McBride & Company, page 124:

     Lastly, around the corner at number 37 South Wells Street, Emil Rutz’s back-room coffee-shop provides good German cooking for the scribes and scribesses of Market Street newspaper offices.

   • 1928 May 31, Murray Powers, “On The Remnant Counter”, in The Marion Star, volume LI, number 158, Marion, Oh., section “550---Count ’Em”, page eight, column 5:

     EVERYBODY is waiting for the big political conventions. […] And while everybody waits, the scribes and scribesses are making plans to “cover” the conventions.

   • 1928 August 1, [James Carter] “Scoop” Latimer, “Scoopin’ ’Em Up”, in The Greenville News, volume LVI, number 214, Greenville, S.C., section “At the Cabaret”, page eleven, column 3:

     Away from home the scribes and scribesses had no cats to put out and doors to lock, so quite a few stayed up waiting in vain for the roosters to crow . . . .

   • 1933 November 29, “The Language Is Elegant But It’s “Scandal” Anyway”, in The Northerner, volume VII, number 14, Fort Wayne, Ind.: North Side High School, page three, column 2:

     That master expounder of eloqution, the Earl of Fuzzilania la Stoner, ambled into a certain room on the lower corridor (number not mentioned) and asked ye scribes and scribesses if the satchel, which he insinuates is a brief case, had been turned in and if so, where.

   • 1935 November 14, […] Tattler, “Campus Merry-go-Round”, in California Daily Bruin, volume XV, number 44, [Los Angeles, Calif.]: The University of California at Los Angeles, page two, column 2:

     Question Department: What five Daily Bruin scribes and scribesses were evicted from the Cotton club after the Homecoming hop for appearing in campus clothes and looking too young to patronize the bar?

   • 1937 January 14, George L. Burr, Sr., ““Dad’s Corner” […] Writers of Yesteryear / “Gangster, Guzzling & Gambling” / Right of Might Repulsive / “Good Lord, Deliver Us””, in Central City Nonpareil, volume LVI, number 5, Central City, Neb., page two, column 3:

     The death of Arthur Brisbane recently recalls to mind the writers who have come and gone during my day and the great variety there has been in scribes and scribesses.

   • 1946 January 10, John M. Cummings, “Is Shroyer a Candidate? His Feasts Taste Like It”, in The Philadelphia Inquirer, volume 234, number 10, [Philadelphia, Pa.]: Triangle Publications, Inc., page 10, column 6:

     Mr. [John U.] Shroyer’s candidacy, or whatever it is, has aroused the interest of the scribes and scribesses largely because he makes a direct appeal via the alimentary canal.

   • 1946 January 11, Mary Harris, “Ringside Table”, in The Washington Post, number 25,411, Washington, D.C., page 9, column 5:

     The Newspaper Guild will take over the Rainbow Room on the night of Sunday, January 20. About 150 scribes and scribesses will disport themselves at the party.

   • 1957 June 30, Karl Krug, “‘Pride and the Passion’: Kramer Film Masterpiece”, in Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, [Pittsburgh, Pa.], section 4, page 6, column 2:

     The scribes and scribesses were fresh from a morning gander at Mr. [Stanley] Kramer’s current pet in the Capitol Theater, and they were eager for the director-producer’s lowdown on the current state of the cinema.

   • 1978, Barbara S[witalski] Lesko, The Remarkable Women of Ancient Egypt, Berkeley, Calif.: B.C. Scribe Publications, →ISBN, page 17:

     The title “scribess” has been found on at least three documents of the Middle Kingdom, so although literacy was probably not widespread in ancient Egypt, some women did learn to read and write.

   • 1987, Jonathan Gash [pseudonym; John Grant], Moonspender: A Lovejoy Novel of Suspense, New York, N.Y.: St. Martin’s Press, page 154:

     I said sorry, because women go berserk if you spill things. She lit a cigarette and puffed a plume with a head-jerk. I gazed admiringly. Women’s actions. “If we educate you, Lovejoy, we might be able to use you.” “That game thing? No, ta.” The nerks shuffled agitatedly. The scribess hesitated.

   • 1996, David M Pierce, As She Rides By, New York, N.Y.: St. Martin’s Press, →ISBN, page 111:

     My other cause for anxiety was none other than S. Silvetti, scribess. When I’d phoned Evonne from home to fix a specific time and place for our rendezvous that evening, which was to be at her place after supper, she’d said, “OK, babe, we’ll be waitin’ on needles and pins.” “This ‘we,’ ” I said. “Is it like the royal ‘we’ or the editorial ‘we,’ we hope?”

   • 2021, Aba de Bright, Women And Men In South Africa First Invented Writing‎^[1], Books on Demand, →ISBN:

     The scribesses and scribes use the daytime brightness window very effectively for the tasks assigned to them by the Council of Elders.