Dear Stewart List Subscribers: Lest this mention of "do not call us Scotch" take on a life of its own, I have pasted below definitions from the American Heritage Dictionary. This is not an inviation to begin a discussion on the subject. Any comments should be off list. We are not Scotch, but may drink it. The English have referred to the Scottish peoples as "Scotch". See the "usage note" on Scottish below. Yours Aye, Lauren Stewart List Admin ................................................................................................................................................................ Scotch n. Abbr. Sc. Scot. 1. The people of Scotland. 2. Scots English. 3. Scotch whisky. adj. 1. Scottish. See note at Scottish . 2. Tight with one's money; frugal. [Contraction of Scottish ] ............................. Scot·tish adj. Abbr. Sc. Scot. 1. Of or relating to Scotland or its people, language, or culture. n. 1. Scots English. 2. The people of Scotland. [Middle English scottisc; See Scots ] Usage Note: Scottish is the full, original form of the adjective. Scots is an old Scottish variant of the form; Scotch is an English contraction of Scottish that at one time also came into use in Scotland (as in Burns's “ O thou, my Muse! guid auld Scotch drink! ”) but subsequently fell into disfavor. To some extent these facts can serve as a guide in choosing among the many variant forms of related words, such as Scot, Scotsman or Scotswoman, or Scotchman or Scotchwoman, for one of the people of Scotland; Scots, (the) Scotch, or, rarely, (the) Scottish for the people of Scotland; and Scots, Scotch, or Scottish for the dialect of English spoken in Scotland. The forms based on Scotch are English and disfavored in Scotland, while those involving the full form Scottish tend to be more formal. In the interest of civility, forms involving Scotch are best avoided in reference to people. But there is no sure rule for referring to things, since the history of variatio! n in the use of these words has also left many expressions in which the choice is fixed, such as Scotch broth, Scotch whisky, Scottish rite, and Scots Guards. ....................................... Scot n. 1. A native or inhabitant of Scotland. 2. A member of the ancient Gaelic tribe that migrated to the northern part of Britain from Ireland in about the sixth century A.D. See note at Scottish . [From Middle English Scottes Scotsmen from Old English Scottas Scotsmen, Irishmen from Late Latin Scottº Irishmen] ........................ Scots adj. Abbr. Sc. 1. Scottish. See note at Scottish . n. 1. The dialect of English used in the Lowlands of Scotland. [Middle English scottis variant of scottisc Scottish from Scotte, sing. of Scottes Scotsmen; See Scot ] ........................ Scots·man n. 1. A man who is a native or inhabitant of Scotland. See note at Scottish . ..................... Scots·wom·an n. 1. A woman who is a native or inhabitant of Scotland. See note at Scottish . ..................... Scotch·man n. 1. A Scotsman. See note at Scottish . ..................... Scotch·wom·an n. 1. A Scotswoman. See note at Scottish .