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Old Scratch

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Old Scratch
n. Chiefly Southern U.S.
The Devil; Satan.
[Probably alteration of scrat, from Middle English, hermaphrodite goblin, from Old Norse skratte, wizard, goblin.]
Regional Note: Old Scratch, like Old Nick, is a nickname for the devil. In the last century it was widely used in the eastern United States, especially in New England, as is evident from the Devil's name for himself in the Stephen Vincent Benét short story "The Devil and Daniel Webster." Now the term has been regionalized to the South. Old Scratch is attested in the Oxford English Dictionary from the 18th century onward in Great Britain as a colloquialism: "He'd have pitched me to Old Scratch" (Anthony Trollope, 1858). The source of the name is probably the Old Norse word skratte, meaning "a wizard, goblin, monster, or devil."


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
"Because he could not spend it," said Tabitha; "for as often as he went to unlock the chest, the Old Scratch came behind and caught his arm.
From Twice Told Tales by Hawthorne, Nathaniel View in context
`principle of evil,' or the Old Scratch, or any name you like.
Anne's House of Dreams by Montgomery, Lucy Maud View in context
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