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Trying to understand an english phrase


Anders Madsen

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I'm pretty certain the use of the word in regards to the 'score' of a sports match goes back to the early days of cricket in England.

For illiterate peasants and/or those unable to afford or have access to pen and paper, a  notch or a 'score' would be made on a stick to permanently record the number of runs a batsman had made.

I'd imagine 'top notch' and 'a cut above' have similar etymologies.

 

Edited by SteveStrummerUK
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It's actually an old Norwegian word! Skor

It means to mark. I read it was used by farmers who would count twenty of their sheep and make a mark in a stick, rather than a mark for each sheep.

Hence. score also means twenty. Famously:

The days of our years are threescore years and ten;
and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years,
yet is their strength labor and sorrow;
for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

Psalms 90

 

Edited by Corrado Prizzi
typo
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On 7/12/2019 at 8:28 PM, RBH said:

There's a version of the work score that has reference with ...... uh.........   certain  good fortunes with the opposite *****.... Say no more - nudge nudge..

 

 

Wow  I guess I should have spelled that sects..... score 1 for artificial intelligence.

Or you could have tried  spelling  s e x ... ;)

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