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Discussion Groups / English Usage / February 2010Frost: the dear
Hello: "The dear" is it an euphemism for "The devil?" --- The rose is a rose, And was always a rose. But the theory now goes That the apple's a rose, And the pear is, and so's The plum, I suppose. The dear only knows What will next prove a rose. You, of course, are a rose -- But were always a rose. Robert Frost, "The Rose Family," p. 246 http://www.angelfire.com/ak/jtmi/family.html --- Thanks. Marius Hancu > Hello: > [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > Thanks. > Marius Hancu No. According to Google, it's sometimes interpreted as a reference to God. I'm sure I've encountered it as an old-fashioned turn of phrase that I thought meant 'nobody', but I suppose it could be taken as a substitute for "God knows". "I can't find my keys. Dear only knows what I've done with them this time!" There are some cites in Google books (but unless you get 'rose' out of the search, you get lots of references to the Frost poem) and they seem to support the idea that it might be a rather old-fashioned substitute for "God only knows".  SignatureCheryl >> "The dear" >> is it an euphemism for [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] > seem to support the idea that it might be a rather old-fashioned > substitute for "God only knows". Yes. God. "I know who I love, but the Dear knows who I'll marry." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWHxreWIBZ8 > >> "The dear" > >> is it an euphemism for [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > Yes. God. "I know who I love, but the Dear knows who I'll marry." > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWHxreWIBZ8 Which for greater confusion is also sung "the De'il knows who I'll marry." -- Handsome winsome Jerry >>>> "The dear" >>>> is it an euphemism for >>>> "The devil?" [...] >>> "I can't find my keys. Dear only knows what I've done with them >>> this time!" [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > Which for greater confusion is also sung "the De'il knows who I'll > marry." Yeah, they hang a lot. > >>>> "The dear" > >>>> is it an euphemism for [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > > Yeah, they hang a lot. Until I looked further, I felt strongly that "the dear" is a euphemism for "the devil," just as Marius stated. For one thing, "the devil" need euphemizing. "The Dear Lord" never did. There is even a superstition that even mentioning the devil would cause him to appear ("speak of the devil") so all the more reason to substitute a word! "The devil knows..." is a reasonably common expression in the 19th century. Twice as many Google Books hits then as for "the dear knows." Nonetheless, the Dictionary of the Scots Language says, under "dear," "Used ellipt. for dear Lord," and gives such examples as "dear bless you," "dear keep you," and "dear help you." In particular, "6. dear kens (knows), God knows (implying that the speaker does not)." Surely no one ever said "The devil bless you" so I think they have a solid case with all these variations. SignatureBest -- Donna Richoux >>>>>> "The dear" is it an euphemism for "The devil?" >> [...] [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > For one thing, "the devil" need euphemizing. "The Dear Lord" never > did. I see it as a parallel to substituting "goodness" for "God", whose name thou shalt not take in vain. > There is even a superstition that even mentioning the devil would > cause him to appear ("speak of the devil") so all the more reason to [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > no one ever said "The devil bless you" so I think they have a solid > case with all these variations. Another, much less likely suggestion I once read is that "dear me" is a calque on Italian "dio mio". Yet another suggestion was that "the dear knows" came from Irish "tá a fhios ag Fiadha" (Lord knows), which can be watered down if "Fiadha" (Lord) is replaced by "fiadh" (a deer). Some people are never content with the obvious explanation. Other languages use the adjective "dear" in similar exclamations. SignatureJames > For one thing, "the devil" need euphemizing. "The Dear Lord" never did. > There is even a superstition that even mentioning the devil would cause > him to appear ("speak of the devil") so all the more reason to > substitute a word! Don't forget the Third (or Second if you follow Augustine) Commandment. As each euphemism for God's name takes on the quality of a name itself, it requires another new euphemism. One of my great-aunts considered "Heaven knows" outright blasphemous and even "Goodness knows" questionable. ¬R >> Hello: >> [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] >to support the idea that it might be a rather old-fashioned substitute >for "God only knows". "Dear only knows" is very common here in Northern Ireland. SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) >>> Hello: >>> [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] >> for "God only knows". > "Dear only knows" is very common here in Northern Ireland. It's presumably equivalent to "Goodness only knows ...". SignatureDavid the wrote on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:09:24 GMT: >>>> Hello: >>>> [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] >>> old-fashioned substitute for "God only knows". >> "Dear only knows" is very common here in Northern Ireland. > It's presumably equivalent to "Goodness only knows ...". "The Dear" as a euphemism for God is quite common in Irish usage. Just in passing, Steven Maturin uses it quite frequently in Patrick O'Brian's books. the Irish Gaelic word is "De", I believe. SignatureJames Silverton Potomac, Maryland Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not > > "The dear" > > is it an euphemism for [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > You, of course, are a rose -- > > But were always a rose. > No. According to Google, it's sometimes interpreted as a reference to God. > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > to support the idea that it might be a rather old-fashioned substitute > for "God only knows". OK, settled. Thank you all. Marius Hancu > Hello: > > "The dear" > is it an euphemism for > "The devil?" Short for The Dear Lord (=God), I've always thought? > > "The dear" > > is it an euphemism for > > "The devil?" > > Short for The Dear Lord (=God), I've always thought? Thank you. Marius Hancu |
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