beshrew

English

Etymology

From Middle English beschrewen (“to curse, pervert”). By surface analysis, be- +‎ shrew.

Verb

beshrew (third-person singular simple present beshrews, present participle beshrewing, simple past and past participle beshrewed)

1. (transitive, archaic) To invoke or wish evil upon; to curse.
   • c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:

     Beshrew me, but you have a quick wit.

   • 1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter XII, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC:

     I had expected to freeze her young – or, rather, middle-aged – blood and have her perm stand on end like quills upon the fretful porpentine, and she hadn't moved a muscle. “Beshrew me,” I said, “you take it pretty calmly.”

2. (transitive) An imperative uttered as a mildly imprecatory or merely expletive introductory exclamation.
   • c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]:

     Beshrew your heart, fair daughter!

   • 1633, Iohn Ford [i.e., John Ford], Loues Sacrifice. A Tragedie […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Hugh Beeston, […], →OCLC, Act III:

     R[oderico] D[’Avolos]. Beſhrevv my heart, but that’s not ſo good. / Duke [Phillippo Caraffa, Duke of Pavy]. Ha, vvhat’s that thou miſlik’ſt D'auolos?

   • 1883, Howard Pyle, chapter V, in The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood […], New York, N.Y.: […] Charles Scribner’s Sons […], →OCLC:

     "Now, beshrew his heart," quoth jolly Robin, "that would deny a butcher. And, moreover, I will go dine with you all, my sweet lads, and that as fast as I can hie." Whereupon, having sold all his meat, he closed his stall and went with them to the great Guild Hall.

Translations

to invoke or wish evil upon; to curse

Chinese: Mandarin: 咒罵 / 咒骂 (zh) (zhòumà) French: maudire (fr) Russian: проклина́ть (ru) n (proklinátʹ)

Anagrams

• Hebrews, Shebrew