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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!"

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.”

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.”