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Meaning & use

scout's honour

phrase·Everydayinformal

Last updated

UK/ˌskaʊts ˈɒnə/
US/ˌskaʊts ˈɑːnər/

Meanings

  1. phrasefixed phraseinformal

    A playful way of promising that what you say is true, borrowed from the Scout movement.

    Grammar: Used on its own as an exclamation or after a statement to strengthen a promise; it is not followed by 'that' or an object.

    Patterns

    • Scout's honour, ...
    • I promise, Scout's honour

    Scout's honour, I didn't touch your phone.

    I'll be there by eight, Scout's honour.

    She swore Scout's honour that the money was safe.

  2. phrasefixed phraseinformal

    A solemn word of honour, especially one given by a child or in a light-hearted way.

    Grammar: Often used after a verb like 'give' or 'swear', or alone as a short reply.

    Patterns

    • give your Scout's honour
    • swear Scout's honour

    He gave his Scout's honour that he would keep the secret.

    'Did you eat the last cookie?' 'No, Scout's honour!'

Common combinations

Scout's honour, I promise
Scout's honour, I promise I'll call you tonight.
swear Scout's honour
They swore Scout's honour that they had seen nothing.
give your Scout's honour
Come on, give your Scout's honour that you'll help.
on my Scout's honour
On my Scout's honour, that's exactly what happened.
Scout's honour that
He said Scout's honour that he was telling the truth.

Synonyms and how they differ

I promise
A plain, serious way to give your word; 'Scout's honour' is more playful and informal.
cross my heart
A similar childish promise phrase, often said with a hand gesture over the chest.
word of honour
More formal and serious; used by adults in earnest promises rather than as a joke.

Word family

Scout noun
A member of the Scout movement, from which the phrase comes.
scouting noun
The activity of being a Scout, including camping and outdoor skills.

Commonly confused: scout's honour or scouts' honour? scout's honour or honor?

scout's honour vs scouts' honour

Some people write the apostrophe after the 's' as if several Scouts were promising; the usual fixed phrase has it before the 's'.

scout's honour vs honor

The American spelling of 'honour'; the phrase is written 'Scout's honor' in US English.

Practice

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