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Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 12:25 pm

in a meeting today it occurred to me that with the number of short, deep voiced men we employ, we could film a movie about dwarves without much trouble.

Is it 'one fell swoop' or 'one foul swoop'? I lean towards the former, I think I'm having a Macbeth moment.

Tags:
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 04:59 am (UTC)
I think fell.

And I went off to check what the difference was between fell and foul to have a look:

Foul goes with rotten, corrupt, stinking.
Fell goes with cruel, violent and vicious.

So I'm sticking with fell.
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 05:57 am (UTC)
Fell totally wins! Found the quote:

MACDUFF: [on hearing that his family and servants have all been killed]

All my pretty ones?
Did you say all? O hell-kite! All?
What, all my pretty chickens and their dam
At one fell swoop?
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 04:59 am (UTC)
My recollection is 'fell swoop' but no idea why.
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 05:58 am (UTC)
Performance review of your recollection: perfectly accurate!
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 05:11 am (UTC)
It's fell. Definitely fell.
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 05:58 am (UTC)
I like fell more too :)
(Anonymous)
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 05:33 am (UTC)
Undead says fell!
<3
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 05:59 am (UTC)
*loves on you*

Of course the undead would vote for fell... well the higher class of undead anyway.
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 05:50 am (UTC)
One more vote for fell.
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 05:59 am (UTC)
Fell wins!
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 05:51 am (UTC)
Well back here in the home of your language (well actually not, i'm in sweden on business) we say fell swoop and whilst with your err enthusiastic pronunciation of english i can imagine that foul might sound similar, i don't think it is right in this case. However, the phrase foul soup with a lovely thick australian accent is a far more appealing phrase in many ways. :-)
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 05:57 am (UTC)
*smack* You can take your foul swedish soup and pour it where the sun don't shine.

Fell swoop is clearly a better idea.
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 07:05 pm (UTC)
actually as i bash this into my cell phone, i'm eating it. It tastes vaguely of asparagus... :-)
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 11:28 pm (UTC)
*g* sun doesn't shine there you know :p
Friday, August 22nd, 2008 07:11 am (UTC)
It's not my fault...
Friday, August 22nd, 2008 07:13 am (UTC)
How do you *know* that?
Friday, August 22nd, 2008 07:22 am (UTC)
My conscience checked my diary, saw that I hadn't been involved and whispered it in my ear. Doesn't yours?
Friday, August 22nd, 2008 07:26 am (UTC)
That's not your conscience dear...
Friday, August 22nd, 2008 07:52 am (UTC)
Really? What is it then? It's served me well for years!
Friday, August 22nd, 2008 07:54 am (UTC)
It is the VOICE OF DOOM
Saturday, August 23rd, 2008 04:30 pm (UTC)
The voice of Mount Doom?
Saturday, August 23rd, 2008 04:34 pm (UTC)
*gurgles ominously*
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 11:34 am (UTC)
Here's yet another vote for fell.

One day - when I have time to burn - I'm going to compile a list of common phrases where people substitute what they think is the right word for what actually is. Should make for amusing reading :)
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 11:38 am (UTC)
you're too late.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_frequently_misused_English_words

http://www.squidoo.com/misused-words

http://www.pittstate.edu/engl/gt/words01.html
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 11:36 am (UTC)
I'm glad my memory agrees with everyone else.

"One 'foul' swoop, eh? Did a bird just shit on you?"
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 11:45 am (UTC)
I think the 'fowl swoops' tend to happen in spring, when the magpies are nesting...
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 12:53 pm (UTC)
fell