Old Scratch

Mr. Scratch redirects here. For the film of that title, see The Devil and Daniel Webster (film) circa 1941.

Old Scratch or Mr. Scratch is a name of the Devil, chiefly in Southern US English. The name likely continues Middle English scrat, the name of a demon or goblin, derived from Old Norse skratte.^[1]

Mentions

Examples of usage of the name "Old Scratch" are found in:

• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
• Constantine (TV series)
• "American Dad!" episode "Permanent Record Wrecker"
• Crossroads (1986 film)
• The Devil and Daniel Webster by Stephen Vincent Benét
• The Devil and Tom Walker by Washington Irving
• The Last Rung on the Ladder by Stephen King
• Lucifer (TV series) (Season 1 Episode 2 "Lucifer, Stay. Good Devil.")
• Miracle Monday by Elliot S. Maggin
• Mud (2012 film)
• Quantum Leap" (Season 3 Episode 5 "The Boogieman")
• The Sing-Song of Old Man Kangaroo by Rudyard Kipling
• The Three Clerks by Anthony Trollope
• The Witches of Eastwick (film)
• Prince of Darkness (film)
• "Beelz" song written by Stephen Lynch
• "Three Men Hanging" song by Murder by Death

References

1. "Old Scratch", The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (Houghton Mifflin Company), Fifth Edition, 2011