A share of a bill or payment, especially at a tavern or inn; a reckoning or amount owed for food and drink.
From Old Norse 'skutr' meaning a contribution or payment, brought to England by Norse invaders. Related to 'scot' (a tax or payment), also appearing in 'scot-free.' The term was common in medieval England.
The phrase 'scot-free' comes from this same word—it literally means 'free from paying your share of the bill,' which is why getting away with something without punishment still means escaping completely, a connection you'd never guess unless you knew medieval tavern culture.
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