The word “score” has been used in the English language for centuries to signify the number “twenty.” This term is believed to have originated from the Old Norse word “skor,” which also meant “twenty.” During medieval times, tally sticks were used to keep track of quantities. Each tally stick was divided into 20 sections, or “scores,” with a mark or notch being made for each item being counted. When all 20 sections were marked, a line was drawn across them to indicate a full score.
Over time, the word “score” began to be used more broadly to represent the number “twenty,” beyond just the context of tally sticks. This usage can be seen in historical documents such as the Bible, where the Psalms are divided into “scores” of verses, and in Shakespeare’s plays, where characters often refer to “three score years and ten” (i.e. seventy years).
By the late 18th century, the use of “score” to mean “twenty” had become firmly established in the English language. This is evident in the famous opening line of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” In this context, “four score and seven years ago” means 87 years ago, or four times twenty plus seven.
While the use of “score” to represent the number “twenty” has become less common in everyday language, it is still used in certain formal contexts such as historical documents, literature, and speeches to convey a sense of tradition and timelessness.