 'One fell swoop'
has
brutal roots
Settle a little argument if you would. What does the phrase "one fell swoop" mean -- and where did it come from? --Christine C., Ashland Think about a bird closing in on its prey, Christine, and you've got the basics of "one fell swoop." Today, it refers to acting suddenly in one quick movement. But the original meaning was much more brutal, according to "The Dictionary of Cliches" by James Rogers. Fell is from the same Latin root that produced "felon" and once meant cruel, fierce or savage, Rogers notes. To act in "one fell swoop" meant to deal a swift, awful blow. Whose phrase was it originally? Rogers and other sources say the earliest record of the phrase in print appears to be Shakespeare's "Macbeth." After Macduff learns his wife and children have been killed by Macbeth, he says: "What! all my pretty chickens and their dam/At one fell swoop?" Ouch. ("Since You Asked'' is a daily feature in the Mail Tribune that answers questions from readers on virtually any topic of general interest. To submit a question, e-mail us at youasked@mailtribune.com Please include your name, address and phone number for verification. If you have specific questions about our Web site or other questions about the Mail Tribune, please send them to tellus@mailtribune.com ) |
