List of English Words With Disputed Usage - S

S

• Scottish, Scots and Scotch – Formerly, English people used "Scotch" where Scottish people used "Scots" or "Scottish". The current convention is as follows:
  • "Scottish" for most purposes, including people, animals and things in general
  • "Scots" also for people, and for identifiably human matters and institutions (e.g., the Scots, Scotsmen; Scots Law (capitalised); the Scots language, which is never *the Scottish language; Scots culture, which is more commonly Scottish)
  • "Scotch" for foods produced in Scotland (e.g., Scotch salmon, Scotch tomatoes; more commonly Scottish is used) and for Scotch whisky (never *Scottish whisky); otherwise best avoided, especially as applied to people, as Scots themselves consider it offensive, including the archaic Scotchmen.

There is also the unrelated verb scotch, as in the following example from Shakespeare's Macbeth:

• Undisputed usage: 'We have scotched the snake, not killed it.'

• seek – This means "look for", but is used to mean "try" or "want". This usage is criticised by Fowler in the entry "Formal Words".
  • Disputed usage: '...we did seek to resolve the Iraq crisis by peaceful means.... those who seek to emulate his legacy of murder.... the Liberals seek to undermine that future...'.

• • Undisputed usage: 'Seek and ye shall find.'