Why do I need to know scotch?
Because it almost certainly doesn’t mean a drink.
What does it mean?
Scotch – pronounced the same as you would in English, can describe the whisky made in Scotland, but it has another much more common meaning in French as well.
It also refers to tape/sellotape. So, you might hear someone next to you at the post office ask vous avez du scotch, par hasard? (Do you have any tape, by chance?)
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It comes from the brand name Scotch Tape, but is widely used in France for all tapes of type.
It also gives us the verb scotcher, which basically means to stick two things together, using tape. It is a synonym for the verb coller.
And in a figurative sense, être scotché can refer to being too attached to something. For example, if your children cannot tear themselves away from the TV, you might say Les enfants sont scotchés devant la télé (the kids are glued to the telly).
There are a few other words in French that come from the brand name originally. For example, the verb klaxonner – which means to beep your horn while driving – comes from the company Klaxon, which was an automotive equipment manufacturer.
Use it like this
J’ai scotché le colis ensemble, mais je ne sais pas si cela tiendra. – I taped the parcel together, but I don’t know if it will hold.
Maman, la maîtresse nous a demandé d’apporter du scotch pour la journée des bricolages. – Mum, the teacher asked us to bring some tape for craft day.
