verbing in the Stanford Chaparral

[Mark A. Mandel]

Michael H Covarrubias <mcovarru at PURDUE.EDU> writes:

>>>

My guess would be that Ms McCurdy remembers the line from Hamlet's soliloquy
in I.ii: "Fie on't, ah fie!"

Reading 'on' as a preposition there it would make sense to think that Hamlet
is uttering some sort of an imperative. Even if misguided it's an
understandable reading no?

In fact I force myself into some odd positions trying to read "on't" as
"about it" or "in regards to that" as would be necessary if reading "fie" as
a cry of disgust in that line.

<<<

Do you enjoy odd positions? (Well, our cat does, but... anyway.) No problem
here. From OED Online, fie, int.; I've just kept the citations with "on" or
"upon". Note esp. the last one, "Fy upon it".

1. An exclamation expressing, in early use, disgust or indignant reproach.
No longer current in dignified language; said to children to excite shame
for some unbecoming action, and hence often used to express the humorous
pretence of feeling 'shocked'. Sometimes more fully 'fie, for shame!'
Construed with {obsolete}of (= on), on, upon.

c1330 King of Tars 612 Fy on ow everichon!
c1440 York Myst. xxxii. 103 Fye on hym, dastard!
1509 HAWES Past. Pleas. XI. xxxv, Fy upon slouth, the nourysher of vyce.
1749 FIELDING Tom Jones VIII. ix, Fy upon it, Mr. Partridge..are you afraid
of facing a little cold?

m a m

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