Crossword clues for scot-free
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Scot-free \Scot"-free"\ [?], a. Free from payment of scot; untaxed; hence, unhurt; clear; safe.
Do as much for this purpose, and thou shalt pass
scot-free.
--Sir W.
Scott.
Then young Hay escaped scot-free to Holland.
--A. Lang.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
Old English scotfreo "exempt from royal tax," from scot "royal tax," from Old Norse skot "contribution," literally "a shooting, shot; thing shot, missile," from PIE *skeud- "to shoot, chase, throw" (see shoot (v.); the Old Norse verb form, skjota, has a secondary sense of "transfer to another; pay") + freo (see free (adj.)). First element related to Old English sceotan "to pay, contribute," Dutch schot, German Schoß "tax, contribution." French écot "share" (Old French escot) is from Germanic.
Wiktionary
adv. 1 (context archaic English) Free of scot, free of tax. 2 (context colloquial English) Without consequences or penalties.
Usage examples of "scot-free".
On the other hand, it would be nothing compared to the public response if we let Susan Atkins walk off scot-free.
This is hee, quoth she, which is his Counsellor, and perswadeth him to forsake me, and now being at the point of death he lieth prostrate on the ground covered with his bed, and hath seene all our doings, and hopeth to escape scot-free from my hands, but I will cause that hee will repente himselfe too late, nay rather forthwith, of his former intemperate language, and his present curiosity.
As patron of guests and hosts Zeus was offended by the behaviour of Paris, cuckolding Menelaus while staying in his house, then escaping with his prize, getting off scot-free.
They'd done more'n anyone else to bring on trouble with the Indians, and come through scot-free.