# "Great Scott"

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-scott/106259
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 29, 2002, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-scott/106259 "2002-04-29T10:47:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Dunmurry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d2c977/32.png) [@Dunmurry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunmurry)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2002, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-scott/106259/1 "2002-04-29T10:47:05Z")

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What is the origin of the saying “Great Scott!”? Who is Scott and why is he great?

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### Author: ![robinc308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@robinc308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robinc308)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2002, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-scott/106259/2 "2002-04-29T11:18:45Z")

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General Winfield Scott

From [this](http://thecapitalscot.com/pastfeatures/greatscott.html) site.

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### Author: ![Balor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@Balor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balor)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2002, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-scott/106259/3 "2002-04-29T12:34:08Z")

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As the cite above indicates later, the German phrase “Gruss Gott” is the most likely explanation.

Attributions to particular persons such as General Scott are more likely to be adaptations of a known phrase. I have heard it applied to Scott the polar explorer too, although the phrase pre-dates him.