Can anyone help with some deep Trek lore?

I was rewatching the TOS episode "Space Seed" last night and was reminded of a line that has always puzzled me: Why does Scotty apologize for being a Scotsman not up on Milton? I don't know of any special connection between Milton and Scotland. Was it just a common stereotype held by Hollywood writers in the 1960s? "He's from Scotland, so he must play the bagpipes, be an alcoholic scotch drinker, be an engineer, and have Paradise Lost memorized."

My guess is stereotype at the time. 

I wonder where it came from. I've had that stereotype for years because of that scene.

The crystal entity might disagree with you.  So would the Horta, and the Tribbles :)   ( and a few other rare cases )  i guess in theory even Q was abstract, just manifested himself to resemble the crew.

But ya, if it was like that in every episode it would be too abstract for most people and failed as a show.  Same reason the universal translator was invented, if you could not understand the other side in every episode, people would lose interest. 

Mon Sep 25 2023 23:36:07 EDT from IGnatius T Foobar Subject: Re: Scotmen and Milton

I suppose it bears bringing up that in most star trek, they're all over the universe but the aliens they encounter are miraculously humanoid.