Scotch

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In older times Scotch was an adjective meaning 'of Scotland'. Nowadays the preferred adjective is scottish, and Scotch usually means Scotch whisky. The remainder of this article is about the word.

Table of contents

1 Scotch, Scottish or Scots?
2 Notes
3 Other meanings

Scotch, Scottish or Scots?

The adjective or noun Scotch is an Early Modern English (16^th Century) contraction of the word Scottish which was later adopted into Older Scots. It more or less replaced Scottish as the prevailing term in England. Scots (the modern form of Older Scots Scottis¹) predominated in Scotland until the 18^th Century when anglification became fashionable and Scotch was used in both England and Scotland.

From the early 19^th Century Scots or Scottish were the preferred usages among educated Scottish people, Scotch being regarded as an anglicized affectation. Scotch is sometimes still used by the working classes who often regard Scots as an anglicized affectation.

Scotch remains in use for phrases like Scotch broth and Scotch terrier, etc. One cynical joke is that Scotch can only be used for things which can be bought, such as whisky, eggs and politicians.

Notes

1. Inglis was the Older Scots for English and the modern form can still be found in Surnames and place names as Ingles or Inglis e.g. Ingleston or Ingliston etc.

Other meanings

A scotch is another name for a chock, a wedge which is placed under a wheel to stop it moving.

To scotch a rumor is to quash or refute it.

A scotch egg is a boiled egg served wrapped in sausage meat, then dipped in breadcrumbs, and fried.
Scotch Tape is a commercial brand name for a type of adhesive tape made by the 3M company.
Scotch mist is a term for something which doesn't exist.
Scotch mist is also a cocktail whose main ingredient is whisky.