always remember when I first encountered the ‘the belt’ usage in Scotland. Around 1962, as a shy young man with my very first car, I stopped one night in a Scottish B&B alongside Loch Lomond. When about to depart the next morning my host asked me if I’d give her daughter a lift to school in Helensburgh as she’d missed the school bus. I wasn’t going that way, but ever the gentleman I agreed.
Clearly, the young lady concerned, aged about 14 or so, had her priorities right as immediately she got into the car she told me without any prompting or questions on my part that she’d get belted if we didn’t get there on time! I was quite shocked.