Heard on Castle: "=?utf-8?Q?=E2=80=A6_was_=5Fsmited_in_two=5F=22=3B_=22=E2=80=A6_?=was _cleaved in two_" [NT] (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Brenda Lester]

O Hamlet, thou hast cleft my heart in twain.



________________________________
 From: Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
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Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2013 9:22 PM
Subject: Re: Heard on Castle: "… was _smited in two_"; "… was _cleaved in two_" [NT] (UNCLASSIFIED)
 
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On Wed, Jan 23, 2013 at 11:16 AM, Mullins, Bill AMRDEC
<Bill.Mullins at us.army.mil> wrote:
> Isn't the past tense of smite "smote"?

Yes. But, for me, even "was smitten _in two_" is odd, though "was
cleft in twain" is okay. The conversation was about a body found cleft
in twain and, IMO, "smiting" someone doesn't leave his body "smited"
in two any more than shooting him leaves his body "shooted" in two
does.

--
-Wilson
-----
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"---a strange complaint
to come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-Mark Twain

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