Exclamation: Great Scott (1856 December)

[Garson O'Toole]

The exclamation "Great Scott" was discussed by Michael Quinion in 2002
at World Wide Words and by Fred Shapiro in 2010 on the Freakonomics
blog. The ADS list archive has some messages on the topic in 2002 and
2003. The comment section of Fred's most recent post mentions "Great
Scott".

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-gre4.htm
http://www.freakonomics.com/2010/02/25/quotes-uncovered-great-scott-and-book-burners/
http://www.freakonomics.com/2011/07/28/a-scuffle-over-scuffle/

The earliest currently known citations for the exclamation are dated
in the 1860s I think. Here is a citation in 1856. (The phrase "Great
Scott" appeared considerably earlier, but I was searching for the
exclamation. In the 1840s Great Scott meetings were held.)

Cite: 1856 December, The Eclectic Medical Journal, Review of
Buchanan's Anthropology by Prof. L. E. Jones, M. D., Start Page 520,
Quote Page 524, Column 1, Fourth Series, Volume II, Number 12,
Published by R. S. & ). E. Newton, Cincinnati, Ohio. (Google Books
full view)

Oh! Moses! Let no man hereafter presume to say Ex-Prof. Buchanan has
not taught, and does not teach, practical Eclecticism. He informs you,
Eclectics, that these conditions are of great physiological value, "as
they are highly applicable to the treatment of disease." He tells you
the aquatic, or cold blooded condition, is valuable as an
antiphlogistic agent, and that it soothes and tranquilizes the lungs.
"Great Scott!" Mystery upon mystery, and marvel upon marvel! Will day
ever dawn? What does our author mean? The writer is again unexpectedly
surrounded by the eternal fogs of our author's brilliant scientific
discoveries, and by the brilliancy of his elocution!

http://books.google.com/books?id=nHgBAAAAYAAJ&q=%22Great+Scott%22#v=snippet&

Here is a cite in 1865 describing how one person used the exclamation.


Cite: 1865 July 19, Freeport Weekly Journal  Page 1, Column 6, A Pair
of Illinois Portraits, Freeport, Illinois. (NewspaperArchive)

A PAIR OF ILLINOIS PORTRAITS.
Gen. Turner and Colonel Shaffer.
>From Colonel's Halpine's "Personal Recollections of the War."
MAJOR GENERAL JOHN W. TURNER - THE CORN-FED BOY FROM ILLINOY

Let me next remind you - though well convinced you do not need
reminding – of Major General John W. Turner, then a captain of the
commissary department , and our chief commissary, although previous to
the war a first lieutenant of the regular artillery, to which arm of
the service he returned as a volunteer on every occasion of active
service, John was "a corn-fed boy from Illinoy," and was known
throughout the command by the sobriquet of "Great Scott Turner," from
a habit he had of exclaiming "Great Scott" - in lieu of the more
objectionable exclamation more commonly used in the army and elsewhere
- whenever profoundly astonished or moved by any excitement. "Great
Scott," either energetically shouted or pathetically whispered, formed
the safety-valve through which he blew off all the emotions of his
ardent but well-disciplined spirit . "Great Scott" be shouted when the
enem's flag went down. "Great Scott was the highest apostrophe that
woman's beauty could win from him; …


Here is a cite in 1869 stating that the exclamation was used by
"regulars in the army."

Cite: 1869 January 7, Hartford Daily Courant, Page 2, Column 1,
Hartford, Connecticut. (GenealogyBank)

The production of United States senators is lively about these days.
Mr. Chandler of Michigan was re-nominated Wednesday evening, and the
Republicans of the Pennsylvania legislature have nominated John Scott
to by senator vice Buckalew. Mr. Chandler everybody knows, but "Great
Scott!" as the regulars in the army say, who Is John Scott? For weeks
all the good fellows in Pennsylvania have been saying that "It is of
no use to try to make a good senator; Simon Cameron is bound to buy up
the legislature anyhow." Is this Mr. Scott a lucky triumph for the
decent men, or is it "just as we expected?"

[All the text is from OCR. I have attempted to correct it but I am
sure that errors persist.]

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