a good scout

An honest, affable, reliable, and trustworthy person. Your dad's a good scout, you know that? He's helped me out of so many jams without even thinking twice. Eric's a good scout, so I'm sure he'll do the repairs for a very fair price. Thanks for being a good scout—I know I can always count on you.

boy scout

A boy or man who is exceptionally honest, scrupulous, and rule-abiding, especially to an excessive or irritating degree. A reference to the Scout movement, which teaches its members to be upstanding, trustworthy, and honest. A: "Hey, we're not supposed to leave our desk while the teacher is away!" B: "Oh, don't be such a boy scout, Timmy." Look, I know you're a real boy scout, Sameer, but sometimes you have to bend the rules to get things done in this business, capiche? He's a total boy scout, so there's no way he's gonna help you with the senior prank.

girl scout

A girl or woman who is exceptionally honest, scrupulous, and rule-abiding, especially to an excessive or irritating degree. A reference to the Scout movement, which teaches its members to be upstanding, trustworthy, and honest. A: "Hey, we're not supposed to leave our desk while the teacher is away!" B: "Oh, don't be such a girl scout, Tammy." Look, I know you're a real girl scout, Salima, but sometimes you have to bend the rules to get things done in this business, capiche? I can't believe Kate got busted for being involved with that prank. I always thought she was such a girl scout.

once an Eagle (Scout), always an Eagle (Scout)

An Eagle Scout (the highest Boy Scout rank) is thought to never lose their dedication to their rank or its related principles. Primarily heard in US. A: "Oh, my dad was an Eagle Scout in his youth." B: "Oh no, once an Eagle Scout, always an Eagle Scout, my friend!"

scout about (for someone or something)

To search, inspect, or look around an area (for someone or something). I've been scouting about for a suitable plot of land to build our house, but it's been tough finding one! With Jimmy's arm broken, we'll have to scout about for a new pitcher.

scout around (for someone or something)

To search, inspect, or look around an area (for someone or something). I've been scouting around for a suitable plot of land to build our house, but it's been tough finding one. Scout around the yard to see if you can find my lost ring.

scout out

To make a preliminary investigation, inspection, or analysis of someone or something in order to determine its or their suitability or potential for future use. A noun or pronoun can be used between "scout" and "out." We need to scout out some locations for the music video this weekend. I go and scout student athletes out who would make good additions to our college team.

scout up

To spend time thoroughly or exhaustively attempting to locate someone or something. A noun or pronoun is used between "scout" and "up." He spent the better part of a day scouting up the parts he would need to finish his prototype. We'll need to scout a new manager up for this project.

Scout's honour

An oath that one is being ingenuous or honest, or will uphold a promise or duty. Alludes to the oath taken by a member of the Scouting movement to be upstanding, trustworthy, and honest. Primarily heard in UK. I swear that I'll behave myself at your brother's wedding, Scout's honour! A: "Are you really telling me the truth about what happened to my car?" B: "Scout's honour!"

scout around (for someone or something)

to look around for someone or something. I don't know who would do a good job for you, but I'll scout around for a likely candidate. You stay here. I'll scout around.

scout someone or something out

to search for and discover someone or something. I will scout a new salesclerk out for you if you want. I'll scout out a new clerk for you.

scout someone or something up

to search for and find someone or something. I'll scout up a costume for the Halloween party. Can you scout a date up for Friday night?

good egg, a

Also, a good scout. An amiable, basically nice person. For example, You can always count on her to help; she's a good egg, or His friends all think Dad's really a good scout. This colloquial antonym of bad egg dates from the early 1900s, as did the variant.

Scout's honour

used to indicate that you have the honourable standards associated with Scouts, and so will stand by a promise or tell the truth. informal

A Scout is a member of the Scout Association, an organization for boys founded in 1908 by Lord Baden-Powell with the aim of developing their character by training them in self-sufficiency and survival techniques in the outdoors.

scout around

To go from place to place searching: I'll scout around and see if I can find a place to build our campfire. The reporter went to the party to scout around for some gossip.

scout out

To go to a place to make a preliminary inspection of someone or something in order to evaluate it for possible use, purchase, or hire, or in order to obtain information ahead of a future encounter: The college coach went to a high school game to scout out a potential recruit. I went ahead of the other hikers and scouted the trail out.

cross my heart (and point to God/hope to die)

What I’m saying is really true. Originally a solemn oath for veracity, this phrase became a schoolyard assertion. The first version was traditionally accompanied by crossing one’s arms over the chest and then raising the right arm. The cliché dates from the second half of the 1800s. A twentieth-century synonym is Scout’s honor!, alluding to the promise of honesty taken by Boy (and Girl) Scouts. It dates from about 1900. J. A. Jance had it in her mystery novel, Devil’s Claw (2000), “Joanna was shocked. ‘You didn’t tell her that!’—Now it was Butch’s turn to grin. ‘I did,’ he said. ‘Scout’s honor.’” And Jan Burke even combined the two: “‘Swear you’ll keep me posted on your progress?’—‘Girl Scout’s honor. Or may I simply cross my heart?’” (Remember Me, Irene, 1996). Also see honest to goodness.

See also: cross, god, heart, hope, point, to

good egg, a

An agreeable, trustworthy person. This slangy expression has outlived bad egg, which it actually implied in the sixteenth century. “Neither good egge nor good bird,” went the saying, meaning the young (egg) would not turn into praiseworthy adults (bird). In the nineteenth century this continued to be spelled out: “A bad egg [is] a fellow who has not proved to be as good as his promise” (The Athenaeum, 1864). The favorable aspect of good egg dates from the early twentieth century. Rudyard Kipling used it in Traffics and Discoveries (1904): “‘Good egg!’ quoth Moorshed.”

good scout, a

An amiable person. This slangy expression originated in America, probably in the late nineteenth century. It appeared in Meredith Nicholson’s Hoosier Chronicle of 1912: “Dad’s a good old scout.”