[From] scratch: scratch & nothing?

[ThomasK]

After the thread at AL I wondered about the meaning of "scratch" in that expression... Etymonline.com suggests: "mark or wound slightly on the surface by a scraping or tearing action with something rough, sharp, or pointed," probably a fusion of Middle English scratten and crachen, both meaning "to scratch". That does not seem to help... I also learn that the meaning "nothing" (as in from scratch) is by 1918, generalized from specific 19c. sporting sense of "starting point of a competitor who receives no odds in a handicap match", but that does not explain the connection with scratching either, I think.

But maybe: [the?] scratch might be the results of scratching, tiny pieces of skin that you'd throw away as they are not worth a penny, are not useful, etc.

 

[Mori.cze]

I doubt the word ever meant "nothing" outside this particular idiom. I tried to google the phrase origin and this is what I got:

From scratch origin: This expression originated from the field of sports in the 1700s when scratch was used in races to refer to a starting line scratched on the ground. Participants with any form of handicap could run shorter distances but still had to start from scratch.

 

[ThomasK]

Excellent, I had not found that! But that explains the sports expression very well! Thanks!

 

[Cautus]

I doubt the word ever meant "nothing" outside this particular idiom. I tried to google the phrase origin and this is what I got:

From scratch origin: This expression originated from the field of sports in the 1700s when scratch was used in races to refer to a starting line scratched on the ground. Participants with any form of handicap could run shorter distances but still had to start from scratch.

Sounds great! The expression we use is "on your marks" now.
Cautus

 

[berndf]

I doubt the word ever meant "nothing" outside this particular idiom.

Even within this particular idiom I cannot detect any notion scratch meaning nothing. It rather means beginning.

 

[Cautus]

Even within this particular idiom I cannot detect any notion scratch meaning nothing. It rather means beginning.

And at begining we have nothing.
Cautus

 

[berndf]

Still beginning does not mean nothing.

 

[AutumnOwl]

To make a scratch you do need some kind of surface where you can make that first scratch, or where to begin. Not even a cat can't create a scratch mark clawing nothingness.