Military Origin of ‘True Scotsman’ Tradition

[Regimental]

My father was in the Irish Guards during WW2. He told us kilts were not worn for that period but he was posted to Buckingham Palace (which he called ‘Buck House’) - I don’t know how often. He said that there was a mirror set into the ‘Guard Room’ floor.

Interesting, though again WW2-era, and I don’t suppose we can know exactly what the mirror was for without some testimony from kilted soldiers themselves (albeit I’m struggling to think of many other purposes!

Incidentally, the term "true Scotsman" came to be used as a kind of joke because the answer is always "Yes". You are either a "true" Scotsman or a "trews" Scotsman.

I’ve always joked with my trews-wearing friend any time we are at an event and he was substituting trews for a kilt that I was the true Scotsman, and he was just the trews Scotsman