COG walks, fell swoops and honoured breaches

[Ian Fraser <>]

an arid fate....

Geoffrey Dabb wrote:

And may I also file a mild protest at ‘Lead on, Macduff’, as sometimes heard at the start of COG walks.

 

The phrase is a mis-quoting of  ‘Lay on, Macduff’, uttered by Macbeth at the start of the fight in which Macbeth is killed.  All those children who follow this chatline will be pleased to learn that the nasty man got his deserts.

 

From: Stephen Mugford [m("qqsr.com","stephen.mugford");">]
Sent: Monday, 9 November 2009 1:48 PM
To: m("gmail.com","calyptorhynchus");">; 'Canberra Birds'
Subject: [canberrabirds] fell swoop and honoured breaches...

 

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: m("gmail.com","calyptorhynchus");"> [m("gmail.com","calyptorhynchus");">]
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 m("iinet.net.au","gdabb");"><> 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
> [m("ozemail.com.au","layton417");">]
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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!!!
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> 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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-- 

Ian Fraser, m("pcug.org.au","ianf");">
Environment Tours; Vertego Environmental Consultancy
GPO Box 3268, Canberra, ACT 2601
ph: 61 2 6249 1560  
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