What it means
Means to shift over just a smidge so someone can squeeze past or sit down. It's a soft, friendly nudge of a word, the sort you use with strangers at church, a packed diner booth, or family piled on the sofa. More polite than shove and less formal than move, and it pairs nicely with y'all.
Usage examples
"Hey y'all, can you scooch down a bit so Grandma can sit? This booth's tighter than a tick and my sweet tea's about to spill."
"Scooch over a touch, sugar, there's room for one more if we all squeeze in."
"He scooched his chair closer to the fire and finally stopped shivering."
"Y'all scooch in a hair so I can slide into the booth without wearing this ketchup."
"Can you scooch your cart over a sec? You're blocking the whole cereal kingdom."
Where it comes from
Scooch is an old English verb that grew out of dialect forms like scouch and scooty little variants for shifting yourself or something a short distance. It’s been around in American English for ages, especially in casual speech, and kept that cozy, small-movement feel the whole way through.
