great Scott

• great Scot

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".^[1] 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.^[2]

• IPA^(key): /ɡɹeɪt skɒt/

great Scott

1. (dated) An exclamation of surprise or amazement
   • 1889, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, New York, N.Y.: Charles L. Webster & Company, →OCLC, page 130:

     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!

   • 1891 [August], A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Adventure II.—The Red-Headed League.”, in Geo[rge] Newnes, editor, The Strand Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly, volume II (July to December), number [8], London: […], page 202, column 2:

     “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.

   • 1943, H. Lorna Bingham, The Lost Tribe, Sydney: Winn and Co., page 15, column 1:

     "Great Scott!" said Mr. Jamieson. "I didn't think things were as serious as that."

   • 1984 October 12, Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale, Back to the Future‎^[1], 4th draft, →OCLC, archived from the original on 11 August 2021, section 145, page 114:

     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!

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