"Plough with the favorite heifer", 1749

[Charles Doyle]

Incidentally, that metaphorical "plow" presents one of those
verb +/- preposition cases.  Interpreted literally, the
phrase "plow with a heifer" would be taken to mean 'hitch a
heifer (rather than an ox) to the plow in order to plow a
field'--in contrast with Shakespeare's "plowed HER."  But I
suppose we can say (literally or figuratively) either "fuck
(somebody)" or "fuck WITH (somebody)."

Incidentally, those lines from Antony & Cleopatra present a
beautiful allusion to Isaiah:  Regarding Cleopatra, "She
made great Cæsar lay his sword to bed, /He ploughed her, and
she cropt."  Beat swords into plowshares; make love, not war!

--Charlie

---- Original message ----
>Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2006 12:53:57 -0400
>From: Charles Doyle <cdoyle at UGA.EDU>
>Subject: Re: "Plough with the favorite heifer", 1749
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU

>
>Judges 14:18.
>
>--Charlie
>
>
>---- Original message ----
>>Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2006 12:42:38 -0400
>>From: "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
>>Subject: "Plough with the favorite heifer", 1749
>>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>
>>"We are informed that a certain Foreign . . . who
>>makes a very splendid Figure amongst us, has
>>already lern'd to pursue the old English Maxim of
>>ploughing with the favorite Heifer, which he
>>thoroughly understands in the metaphorical Sense;
>>and that a certain Naturaliz'd C-n-ss, in
>>Conformity to this Maxim, was lately entertain'd
>>by him with great Splendour and Expense."
>>
>>Northampton [England] Mercury, 23 October 1749
>>(G. A. Cranfield, "The Development of the
>>Provincial Newspaper, 1700-1760", page 70).
>>
>>What do you have, Fred?  With my limited
>>sources:  not found Googling; from OED2, this
>>sense of plough goes back to 1606,
>>Shakespeare:  Ant. & Cl. ii. ii. 233 Royall
>>Wench: She made great Cæsar lay his sword to bed,
>>He ploughed her, and she cropt.
>>
>>Joel
>

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