great scott
/ɡɹeɪt skɒt/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.69 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
Example Sentences
- "Don’t understand? Land of—why, you see—you see—why, great Scott, can’t you understand a little thing like that? Can’t you understand the difference between your—why do you look so innocent and idiotic!"
- "“It's all clear,” he whispered. “Have you the chisel and the bags. Great Scott! Jump, Archie, jump, and I’ll swing for it!” Sherlock Holmes had sprung out and seized the intruder by the collar. The other dived down the hole, and I heard the sound of rending cloth as Jones clutched at his skirts."
- "‘You’re late.’ ‘Great Scott!’ exclaimed Bob amazedly. ‘I had no idea it was as late as this.’"
- ""Great Scott!" said Mr. Jamieson. "I didn't think things were as serious as that.""
- "The paddle-plug attached to the lightning rod on the clock tower is yanked out, and the cable drops down from the clock tower! / [EMMETT] BROWN / Great Scott! Kid---find the end of that cable---I'll throw the rope down to you!"
Etymology
Uncertain or disputed. May come from either the Scottish novelist Walter Scott, so called in some poems, or Gen. Winfield Scott of the American Civil War, who weighed about 300 pounds and was referred to by his troops as "Great Scott". Alternately, perhaps a corruption of German grüß Gott! (“Good day!, Hello!”, literally “May God greet (thee)!”), or a euphemism for great Satan or good God.