2007-02-20 03:36:35 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Quotations
Dred Scott was a black slave born in Virginia, USA in 1799. In several celebrated court cases, right up to the USA Supreme Court in 1857, he attempted to gain his freedom. These cases all failed but Scott was later made a free man by his 'owners', the Blow family. Knowing this, we might feel that we don't need to look further for the origin of scott free. Many people, especially in the USA, are convinced that the phrase originated with the story of Dred Scott.
The etymology of this phrase shows the danger of trying to prove a case on circumstantial evidence alone. In fact the phrase 'scot free' has nothing to do with Dred Scott.
Given the reputation of Scotsmen to be careful with their money we might look to Scotland for the origin of 'scot free'. Wrong again, but at least we are in the right part of the world now. A scot is a Scandinavian word for tax or payment. It came to the UK as a form of redistributive taxation which was levied as early the 13th century as a form of municipal poor relief. The term is a contraction of 'scot and lot'. Scot was the tax and lot, or allotment, was the share given to the poor.
Scot as a term for tax has been used since then to mean many different types of tax. Whatever the tax, the phrase 'scot free' just refers to not paying one's taxes.
No one likes paying tax and people have been getting off scot free since at least the 16th century. This reference from Vincent Skinner's translation of Reginaldus Gonsalvius Montanus's A discovery and playne declaration of sundry subtill practises of the holy inquisition of Spayne dates from 1598:
"Escape scotte free."
2007-02-20 03:41:52 · answer #1 · answered by Max 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
It actually pre-dates Dred Scott by centuries...
The first 2 answers are probably a good explanation.
" No one likes paying tax and people have been getting off scot free since at least the 16th century. This reference from Vincent Skinner's translation of Reginaldus Gonsalvius Montanus's A discovery and playne declaration of sundry subtill practises of the holy inquisition of Spayne dates from 1598:
"Escape scotte free."
But another possible meaning is :
SCOTT (m) "a Scot" (Old English). The original meaning of the word Scot is debated, but it may mean "tattoo", so given, because Scotsmen often had tattoos.
Criminals were often visibly "marked" so that they quite literally carried their records with them.
For example, a thief might have a "T" branded onto their right hand (some cultures would amputate a thief's hand). If "Scot" meant "tattoo" and "Scott free" means to get away with something unscathed, so perhaps
"Scott Free" meant to get away with something without a mark.
2007-02-20 09:56:26 · answer #2 · answered by Kate 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Since evolution did have an origin, I think that Darwin's use of the word origin is more encompassing. The word evolution is pretty much a given that is used to explain the origin as well as the evolution.
2016-05-23 22:44:17 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A scott is a tax levied on people that benefit from sea / river defences (scotts sluice on the river rother in sussex UK). If you didn't need to pay the tax (living on higher ground) then you were scott free.
2007-02-21 08:57:52 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Probably something to do with the Jocks. They like everything for free.
2007-02-22 09:09:13 · answer #5 · answered by hedgeybear 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
scot-free
O.E. scotfreo "exempt from royal tax," from scot "royal tax," from O.N. skot "contribution, reckoning, shot" + freo (see free). Related to O.E. sceotan "to pay, contribute," Du. schot, Ger. Schoß "tax, contribution" (see shot). O.Fr. escot (Fr. écot) "share" is a Gmc. loan-word.
D
www.stockmysite.com
2007-02-20 03:51:13 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'll go along with "the mad scientist". The answer sounds right to me.
2007-02-22 05:19:43 · answer #7 · answered by nosy old lady 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋