no great scratch
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Not much good; something of little value or importance.
Register: archaic, slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
Among the spinners there was one, / Whose name was Samuel Patch; / He moped about, and did his stint / Folks thought him no great scratch.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “no great scratch” mean?
Not much good; something of little value or importance.
Is “no great scratch” formal or informal?
no great scratch is generally archaic, slang.