| Author |
Message |
BCBD
Guest
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2005 3:53 pm
Post subject: help on "a pox on the lot of you" |
|
|
Hi,all!
Could sb. tell me what "a pox on the lot of you" means?
I am non-English speaker.
I find it while reading an online English novel.Since I can not find it in a
dictionary, I try to get help here.
It seems to me that it means something cursing, but I do not know what it
really means and why. What does "lot" here mean? Does it mean "many"?
Help! Thanks a lot!
Best regards,
Bcbd
|
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Paul Burke
Guest
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2005 4:01 pm
Post subject: Re: help on "a pox on the lot of you" |
|
|
BCBD wrote:
| Quote: | Could sb. tell me what "a pox on the lot of you" means?
I am non-English speaker.
I find it while reading an online English novel.Since I can not find it in a
dictionary, I try to get help here.
It seems to me that it means something cursing, but I do not know what it
really means and why. What does "lot" here mean? Does it mean "many"?
|
You are right, it is a curse.
A pox is a disease which involves a rash. There are several- smallpox
(variola), cowpox (famous as the origin of vaccination), chicken pox
(varicella). I suspect meningitis would have been described as a pox.
And finally syphilis. I suspect the speaker would have intended smallpox
or syphilis, if it wasn't merely a conventional phrase.
'The lot of you' means 'all of you'.
Paul Burke |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Nick Wagg
Guest
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2005 5:06 pm
Post subject: Re: help on "a pox on the lot of you" |
|
|
"BCBD" <bcbd@163.com> wrote in message news:dadm0q$4d6$1@mail.cn99.com...
| Quote: |
Could sb. tell me what "a pox on the lot of you" means?
|
I shall add just a couple of things to Paul Burke's excellent answer
and that is that sometimes "plague" is used in place of "pox",
a plague being another type of horrible (and deadly) disease.
Also, the phrase is sometimes "a plague on all your houses",
"houses" meaning "households", i.e. "all who live in your houses".
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Philip Powell
Guest
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:05 pm
Post subject: Re: help on "a pox on the lot of you" |
|
|
In message <dadpje$s2r$1$830fa17d@news.demon.co.uk>, Nick Wagg
<naw@transcendata.com> writes
| Quote: | "BCBD" <bcbd@163.com> wrote in message news:dadm0q$4d6$1@mail.cn99.com...
Could sb. tell me what "a pox on the lot of you" means?
I shall add just a couple of things to Paul Burke's excellent answer
and that is that sometimes "plague" is used in place of "pox",
a plague being another type of horrible (and deadly) disease.
Also, the phrase is sometimes "a plague on all your houses",
"houses" meaning "households", i.e. "all who live in your houses".
|
Or:
"Go to hell!"
--
Philip Powell
Looking north across the Derwent Valley and Northumberland
to The Cheviot |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
sum1
Guest
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:09 pm
Post subject: Re: help on "a pox on the lot of you" |
|
|
bcbd@163.com wrote:
| Quote: | Hi,all!
Could sb. tell me what "a pox on the lot of you" means?
I am non-English speaker.
I find it while reading an online English novel.Since I can not find it in a
dictionary, I try to get help here.
It seems to me that it means something cursing, but I do not know what it
really means and why. What does "lot" here mean? Does it mean "many"?
Help! Thanks a lot!
Best regards,
Bcbd
"the pox" is, or was when I lived there, slang for a nasty sexually |
transmitted disease, mainly syphilis I suppose.
More generally, in the past, it could probably cover a larger group of
undesirable maladies, smallpox, chickenpox etc, which were then both
common and untreatable.
"the lot of you" tells me that the speaker is directing his ill-will at a group
or bunch of people.
--
Ian |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
sum1
Guest
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:28 pm
Post subject: Re: help on "a pox on the lot of you" |
|
|
naw@transcendata.com wrote:
| Quote: | "BCBD" <bcbd@163.com> wrote in message news:dadm0q$4d6$1@mail.cn99.com...
Could sb. tell me what "a pox on the lot of you" means?
I shall add just a couple of things to Paul Burke's excellent answer
and that is that sometimes "plague" is used in place of "pox",
a plague being another type of horrible (and deadly) disease.
Also, the phrase is sometimes "a plague on all your houses",
"houses" meaning "households", i.e. "all who live in your houses".
"A plague on both your houses", wasn't it, that is if you're |
referring to Shakespeare's oft-quoted line from Romeo and Juliet?
--
Ian |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Nick Wagg
Guest
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2005 2:57 pm
Post subject: Re: help on "a pox on the lot of you" |
|
|
"sum1" <sum1@flash.net> wrote in message
news:20050705.0615.7005snz@flash.net...
| Quote: | naw@transcendata.com wrote:
"BCBD" <bcbd@163.com> wrote in message
news:dadm0q$4d6$1@mail.cn99.com...
Could sb. tell me what "a pox on the lot of you" means?
I shall add just a couple of things to Paul Burke's excellent answer
and that is that sometimes "plague" is used in place of "pox",
a plague being another type of horrible (and deadly) disease.
Also, the phrase is sometimes "a plague on all your houses",
"houses" meaning "households", i.e. "all who live in your houses".
"A plague on both your houses", wasn't it, that is if you're
referring to Shakespeare's oft-quoted line from Romeo and Juliet?
|
Doh! Thanks. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
David Picton
Guest
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2005 5:37 pm
Post subject: Re: help on "a pox on the lot of you" |
|
|
BCBD wrote:
| Quote: | Hi,all!
Could sb. tell me what "a pox on the lot of you" means?
I am non-English speaker.
I find it while reading an online English novel. Since I can not find it in a
dictionary, I try to get help here.
It seems to me that it means something cursing, but I do not know what it
really means and why. What does "lot" here mean? Does it mean "many"?
Help! Thanks a lot!
|
Here is a dictionary which you may find useful in future:
http://www.ldoceonline.com/
To access the online version, click on the large circular button marked
"online".
Here is another useful link (which allows you to look up a word in
several dictionaries):
http://www.onelook.com/
| Quote: |
Best regards,
Bcbd |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| |
FAQ
Memberlist
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in