squammy
adjUK, US /ˈskweɪm.mi/ · US /ˈskwɑːm.mi/
Etymology From squamous + -y, where -ous was elided to extract the root. The reduplicated ⟨m⟩ is akin to runny, brimmy, etc. The Philippine slang sense is a semantic loan from Tagalog iskuwater, itself from Philippine English squatter (“poor vagrant; illegal informal settler”) due to resemblance of the first syllable. Compare Tagalog iskuwami.
1
Dated Synonym of squamous (“Covered with, made of, or resembling scales; scaly.”).
2
Philippines, Colloquial, Slang trashy; classless; unrefined; crass; uncultured; vulgar; uncouth (lacking refinement)