scot-free
19
8.4
- idiom
- /skɑt-fri/
- Informal
:
salir impune
- She thought he would face consequences, but he managed to get off scot-free.
- get scot-free
- walk away scot-free
Examples
-
So he just gets to walk away, scot-free?
-
"Don't you ever worry about some of these people getting off scot-free?"
Fiction book (1990) -
"I suppose no one gets off scot-free," she said, finally looking up.
Fiction book (1997) -
Well, it looks as if the game's over and I get off scot-free.
-
So we all get off scot-free?
Fiction book (1997) -
"Her life was ruined, and the man got off scot-free."
Fiction book (1992) -
Everyone knows he's guilty and off he goes, scot-free.
-
Now I just can't let you walk outta here scot-free.
-
I still have a hard time believing all the people who got off scot-free from Iran-Contra.
Blog text (25) -
Honestly, you didn't really think Obama was going to get away scot-free here, did you?
Blog text (31)
Antonyms
How Punished
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Scot-free comes from the old word scot, which meant 'payment' or 'tax', so at first it described someone who was 'free of tax'. So to go scot-free was to avoid paying, and now it means to get away without any cost or punishment.