scot and lot

noun

1. British History. a municipal tax assessed proportionately upon the members of a community.

scot and lot

noun

1. history a municipal tax paid by burgesses and others that came to be regarded as a qualification for the borough franchise in parliamentary elections (until the Reform Act of 1832)

Word History and Origins

Origin of scot and lot¹

1275–1325; Middle English, rhyming phrase; scot, lot

Word History and Origins

Origin of scot and lot¹

C13 scot tax, from Germanic; compare Old Norse skot; related to Old French escot (French écot ) + lot (in the obsolete sense: tax)

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. pay scot and lot, to pay in full; settle finally.

Example Sentences

Speaking of himself before the Justice, he says, “I dwell, Sir, at the sign of the Water-tankard, hard by the Green Lattice; I have paid scot and lot there many time this eighteen years.”

From Project Gutenberg

We will none of your lurdans that can not pay scot and lot—your runagates that fall under the statute of outcry.

From Project Gutenberg

Occasionally she visited the town, to the consternation of its worthy citizens, who never failed to presage evil to "scot and lot" from her presence.

From Project Gutenberg

Another point—he had always believed and practised the sterling rule of "paying scot and lot as you go."

From Project Gutenberg

All parliamentary representatives were to be elected by persons “paying scot and lot.”

From Project Gutenberg