Victorian & Edwardian · oath · interjection
Great Scott
grayt SKOT /ɡɹeɪt skɒt/pronunciation given by a dictionary
First recorded1845
An exclamation of surprise or dismay. Its origin is uncertain: it is usually taken as a stand-in for 'Great God!', and 19th-century writers linked it to the famous (and very large) US general Winfield Scott; other theories are unproven.
Where it was first recorded
Spirit of Democracy (Woodsfield, Ohio), 7 March 1845 — earliest known example per World Wide Words (found by Peter Reitan); Green's earliest citation is 1864.
Also spelled: great Scot, Scott!
In its own time
“It’s all clear,” he whispered. “Have you the chisel and the bags? Great Scott! Jump, Archie, jump, and I’ll swing for it!”
Today
Modern exampleGreat Scott — the train leaves in four minutes and I've lost my ticket!
Fine to use today as a playfully old-fashioned exclamation.
Questions
What does great scott mean?
An exclamation of surprise or dismay. Its origin is uncertain: it is usually taken as a stand-in for 'Great God!', and 19th-century writers linked it to the famous (and very large) US general Winfield Scott; other theories are unproven.
When was great scott first used?
It is first recorded 1845 — Spirit of Democracy (Woodsfield, Ohio), 7 March 1845 — earliest known example per World Wide Words (found by Peter Reitan); Green's earliest citation is 1864.
Can you still use great scott today?
Fine to use today as a playfully old-fashioned exclamation.
Sources
- great...!, excl. (great Scott!) — Green's Dictionary of Slang
- Great Scott — World Wide Words (Michael Quinion)
- great Scott — Wiktionary
- Great Scott — Merriam-Webster
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes — Project Gutenberg #1661
Checked 2026-09-30 · verdict: attested — found in the dictionaries and texts listed above