Food & Drink3 mins ago
Woe Betide
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I know what this phrase is used for, but what is its origin?
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( and of course some do and there is a whole study on this - which does and how fast)
like woe betide - - and also methinks
( which they said was an impersonal verb ( like it rains) with an attributive accusative (me) whacked on the front ( antepositive) and I have to say I eacted with what a load of old crap )
From Early Modern English woe (“great sadness or distress; calamity, trouble”) + betide (“to happen to, befall”), formerly used to decry a person's actions. Grammatically, it is a term the verb of which is in the subjunctive mood.
woe is related 'cognate' with vae ( Latin for er woe) as in Vae Victis - woe to the wanquished.
I thought they would say betide was some damned stupid thing
( and of course some do and there is a whole study on this - which does and how fast)
like woe betide - - and also methinks
( which they said was an impersonal verb ( like it rains) with an attributive accusative (me) whacked on the front ( antepositive) and I have to say I eacted with what a load of old crap )
From Early Modern English woe (“great sadness or distress; calamity, trouble”) + betide (“to happen to, befall”), formerly used to decry a person's actions. Grammatically, it is a term the verb of which is in the subjunctive mood.
woe is related 'cognate' with vae ( Latin for er woe) as in Vae Victis - woe to the wanquished.
I thought they would say betide was some damned stupid thing