Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To move a short way, especially by making short sliding movements when sitting or lying down.
  • intransitive verb To crouch down.
  • noun A small degree, portion, or amount; a bit.
  • idiom (a scooch) To a small degree; somewhat.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb US To shift, move aside, or scoot over.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Alteration (perhaps influenced by scoot) of scrooch.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Perhaps a portmanteau from scoot and inch (so as to describe a movement both rapid and short).

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Examples

Comments

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  • I can't prove it but I think this comes from two places: 'scoot' and 'scotch', sort of a blend of both. I've heard 'a scotch more' used in bars (though quite rarely), where I like to think it comes from the legendary parsimony of the Scots. I think that where 'scooch' or 'scootch' is used as 'move a little bit,' that just came emerged from its similarity to 'scoot'. So, "scooch over a little bit" might be redundant.

    May 27, 2009