1494: 'great scott' and 'scott free' aren't Scottish Jan 14, 2018

The Scotland is famous for many things, but neither 'great scott' nor 'off scott free' relate to the country or its people. The former is simply a standin for 'G-d', though these are pretty common, especially in Victorian English speech. In the latter case, there is a common misconception that the word comes from the Dred Scott Decision, but actually it comes from the Old Norse 'skot' meaning 'payment' or 'tax'.