Английский Этимологический словарь - scarf (3)

- "eat hastily," 1950s, in teen slang, originally a noun meaning "food, meal" (1930s), perhaps imitative, or from a Brit. dial. survival of O.E. sceorfan "to gnaw, bite" (see scarf (2)); scoff in a similar sense is attested from 1846, and there is a similar word in a S.African context in the 1600s.