At the risk of pedantry ... ‘fell’ as in ‘one fell swoop’ does
indeed originally mean harsh or cruel and yes, it now tends to be used to mean “all
at one go”. [That is, when it is not corrupted by those who have only half
heard it into “one foul swoop” (grr!). Maybe they mean ‘one fowl swoop’ and
have hawk eagles in mind!]
But “ more honoured in the breach” simply means “more often broken
that conformed with”. It brings no honour to the breaker, be s/he in the
majority or not. J
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr Stephen Mugford
Managing Director
QQSR
Box 12,
Gungahlin, ACT 2912
Ph: +61 2 6242 1008 [02 6242 1008]
Mob: + 61 411 466640 [0411 466640]
From:
[
Sent: Sunday, 8 November 2009 3:59 PM
To: Canberra Birds
Subject: Re: RE: [canberrabirds] Hello! New computer. Vroom!!
This is one of those _expression_ quoted from Shakespeare
which is usually not used in accordance with the original meaning. People use
"fell swoop" to mean "all at once", whereas 'fell' actually
means 'cruel'. So in John's example this might be appropriate, but in the usual
usage it is not.
cf "A custom more honoured in the breach than the observance" does
not mean "a custom that's usually neglected", it means, "a
custom that gains people more honour when they neglect it".
John Leonard
On Nov 8, 2009 2:13pm, Geoffrey Dabb <> wrote:
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> Shakespeare, Macbeth:
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> MACDUFF, on hearing that his
> family has been murdered:
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> “All my pretty ones?
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> Did you say all? O hell-kite!
> All?
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> What, all my pretty chickens and
> their dam
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> At one fell swoop?”
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> SERVANT:
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> “Yes, milord. Vrooom!!”
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> From: John Layton
> [
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> Sent: Sunday, 8 November 2009 1:23 PM
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> To: Canberra Birds
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> Subject: [canberrabirds] Hello! New computer. Vroom!!
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> Thirteen years ago I bought a computer. Last week it gave up
> the ghost, must have been a lemon. So today I have my new
machine
> up, running and loaded for bear with spanky new Windows 7. Vrooom!!!
>
>
>
> This is my first email, so bear with boy with new toy. Late
> yesterday afternoon went for a drive along Parkwood Road, Holt, which may
> appear a nondescript semi-rural thoroughfare but has revealed some
> interesting birds lately, eg Brown Songlark & Horsfield’s Bushlark
> last week. Yesterday was surprised to see five Wood Ducks huddled
around
> a few remaining rainwater puddles right at the edge of the bitumen. Couple
of
> Masked Lapwings nearby and a number of Australasian Pipits here and there
along
> the roadside fence. Saw a Nankeen Kestrel hovering, suddenly it
descended
> in one fell stoop (is “fell stoop” correct and, in this instance,
> appropriate? It’s an _expression_ I’m never sure about.)The kestrel
> was only down for a few seconds in long grass before flying off rapidly
> as if heading to a favoured feeding perch but couldn’t see if it carried
> anything.
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> John Layton.
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