When a child I learned the phrase "just a scoch" meaning "just a little bit" -- as when asked if I wanted milk in my tea.
Later when I first had contact with people fluent in Japanese I learned that "scochi" is a word in Japanese meaning a little bit. We pronounced it with a long "o" and the Japanese pronounced it the same way with the added "i" so it sounded like sko-she.
Perhaps it came to New England in the days of four masted schooners which sailed out of Salem, Massachusetts, went round the Horn and traded in Japan. Before the War of 1812-1814, Salem was the largest East coat port sailing to the Japans.
As a by the way : there is a marvelous museum -- the Peabody Museum of Salem (Mass.) -- which houses a treasure trove of magnificent artifacts from Japan and the Pacific Islands. I have taken Japanese friends to the Peabody-Salem and they are always amazed by the collection. Some things not ever seen in Japan. The museum's netsuke collection was world famed and they were on tour when in a California museum (San Diego I think) a robbery took place and many were stolen never to re-surface.
The Peabody-Salem still has a representative collection of netsuke and I am thankful I had the opportunity to see many of the now "lost" netsuke before they were stolen. Each a masterpiece and an exquisite example of the carver's art.
wow