scotch free or scot free

Getting away with something “scot free” has nothing to do with the Scots (or Scotch). The scot was a medieval tax; if you evaded paying it you got off scot free. Some people wrongly suppose this phrase alludes to Dred Scott, the American slave who unsuccessfully sued for his freedom. The phrase is “scot free”: no H, one T.

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• standalone vs stand-alone
• heal vs heel
• pastorial vs pastoral
• hyperdermic vs hypodermic
• weiner vs wiener
• all for not vs all for naught
• buttox vs buttocks
• below table vs table below
• tragedy vs travesty
• appauled vs appalled

Definitions

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• r  free from harm or penalty

News & Articles

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• Tigers lose temper, fall to White Sox in series finale WITH VIDEO
  DETROIT — This isn’t sitting well with the Tigers. They’re starting to feel like other teams are able to take liberties, and throw at their power hitters — up around the head, no less — and get away with it scot free.
  July 12, 2013 - The Oakland Press
• Appeals Court Upholds Ruling Barring Rockford Man From Being Charged With Murder
  Rockford - A man once accused of murder gets away scot free.
  June 26, 2013 - WTVO - WQRF Rockford