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Chris -- 2025-05-10
The saying is “to get off scot free.” I’ve read in some place the origin of “scot” is a old word for “tax,” whereas “scot” elsewhere I read “scot” is an old word for “attack.” Either one justifies the present meaning, which is to get away with something without punishment.
Incorrect variants I have seen/heard are “Scott free” (referring to some “Scott” who presumably got away with something) or what I find cute, “Scotch free” (as in, without Scotch whiskey).
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Hi, mpsalem— welcome to the forum. This (or something similar) has been talked about a couple of times. Here’s a post by woodnymph79 from a few months ago that overlaps with your to a degree:
http://eggcorns.lascribe.net/forum/view … hp?id=1921
And here’s a post of mine from a couple of years ago that’s a little different from your main point:
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