scot and lot

Thân thiện

A citizen pays his scot and lot to the town clerk.

Definition

Noun: 1. A historical tax or levy: In medieval and early modern England, this term referred to a local tax assessed according to one's ability to pay, used to fund parish expenses. 2. Obligations of all kinds taken as a whole: By extension, it signifies one's full share of communal duties, responsibilities, or financial burdens.

Usage

• The term is primarily historical and used in formal or legal contexts to describe comprehensive civic or financial responsibility.
• It often appears in the phrase "to pay scot and lot", meaning to bear one's full share of communal charges.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• "Scot and lot voter": A historical term for a man who was eligible to vote in certain boroughs because he paid this local tax, indicating he had a stake in the community.
  • Before the Reform Act of 1832, only scot and lot voters could elect members of parliament in some constituencies.

Variants and Related Words

• Scot-free (adj): Without payment or penalty; escaping one's due share. This common idiom is etymologically related, with "scot" meaning a tax or payment.
  • The thief got off scot-free. (Meaning: The thief escaped without punishment.)

Synonyms

• Levy: A tax or charge.
• Assessment: An evaluation for the purpose of taxation.
• Dues: Required payments, such as membership fees.

Related Phrases

• To bear one's share: To accept one's portion of responsibility or cost.
• To pay one's way: To contribute one's fair share of expenses.

Related Idioms

• Go scot-free: To escape completely, especially without the punishment or payment that is deserved.
  • Despite the evidence, the corrupt official went scot-free.

Học thuật

Noun

1. obligations of all kinds taken as a whole