Not for the first time

[samvara]

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.

Comments

[cricketk.livejournal.com]

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.

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

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?

[mynxii.livejournal.com]

My recollection is 'fell swoop' but no idea why.

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

Performance review of your recollection: perfectly accurate!

[battblush.livejournal.com]

It's fell. Definitely fell.

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

I like fell more too :)

[(Anonymous)]

Undead says fell!
<3

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

*loves on you*

Of course the undead would vote for fell... well the higher class of undead anyway.

[stephbg.livejournal.com]

One more vote for fell.

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

Fell wins!

[evilmattikinz.livejournal.com]

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. :-)

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

*smack* You can take your foul swedish soup and pour it where the sun don't shine.

Fell swoop is clearly a better idea.

[evilmattikinz.livejournal.com]

actually as i bash this into my cell phone, i'm eating it. It tastes vaguely of asparagus... :-)

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

*g* sun doesn't shine there you know :p

[evilmattikinz.livejournal.com]

It's not my fault...

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

How do you *know* that?

[evilmattikinz.livejournal.com]

My conscience checked my diary, saw that I hadn't been involved and whispered it in my ear. Doesn't yours?

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

That's not your conscience dear...

[evilmattikinz.livejournal.com]

Really? What is it then? It's served me well for years!

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

It is the VOICE OF DOOM

[evilmattikinz.livejournal.com]

The voice of Mount Doom?

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

*gurgles ominously*

[dormant-dragon.livejournal.com]

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 :)

[japester.livejournal.com]

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

[japester.livejournal.com]

I'm glad my memory agrees with everyone else.

"One 'foul' swoop, eh? Did a bird just shit on you?"

[dormant-dragon.livejournal.com]

I think the 'fowl swoops' tend to happen in spring, when the magpies are nesting...

[artisanat.livejournal.com]

fell