Old Scratch
Preserved but no longer current.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Old Scratch” mean?
Probably from the personal name (cp. Old Nick), but perhaps with some allusion to the word harry, meaning to plunder, harass, lay waste, from which comes the old harrow, as in the title of the 14th-century estrif, or miracle-play, The Harrowing of Hell.
Is “Old Scratch” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.