<P> Nemo me impune lacessit was the Latin motto of the Royal Stuart dynasty of Scotland from at least the reign of James VI when it appeared on the reverse side of merk coins minted in 1578 and 1580 . It is the adopted motto of the Order of the Thistle and of three Scottish regiments of the British Army . The motto also appears, in conjunction with the collar of the Order of the Thistle, in later versions of the Royal coat of arms of the Kingdom of Scotland and subsequently in the version of the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom used in Scotland . It means No one "cuts" (attacks / assails) me with impunity, and has been loosely rendered in Scots as Wha daur meddle wi me? (in Scottish Gaelic Cha togar m' fhearg gun dìoladh, Scottish Gaelic pronunciation: (xa t̪okəɾ mɛɾak kuɲ tjiəl̪ɣəɣ)). It is also alternatively translated into English as No one can harm me unpunished . </P> <P> According to legend, the "guardian thistle" (see Scotch thistle) played a vital part in Alexander III, King of Scots' defence of the ancient realm of Scotland against a night - time raiding party of Norwegian Vikings, prior to the Battle of Largs (1263): one or more raiders let out a yell of pain when stepping on a prickly thistle, thus alerting the Scots . In the motto "No one harasses me with impunity" (Latin: "Nemo me impune lacessit"), "me" was therefore originally the thistle itself, but by extension now refers to the Scottish regiments which have adopted it . </P>

Nemo me impune lacessit meaning in the cask of amontillado