The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) gives a 1589 quotation for this phrase as a friendly greeting, and quotations for the related phrase "hail fellow", a greeting that apparently dates to medieval times. "Well met" appears to have been added to the phrase in the 16th century to intensify its friendliness, and derives from the concept of "good to meet you", and also from the meaning of "meet" as something literally the right size for a given situation.[citation needed]
Historic usageedit
In 1609 Thomas Dekker used the term in The Gull’s Hornbook: "when at a new play you take up the twelve-penny room next the stage, (because the Lords and you may seem to be haile fellow wel-met) there draw forth this booke, read alowd, laugh alowd, and play the Antickes, that all the garlicke mouthd stinkards may cry out, Away with the fool."
The expression appeared in Jonathan Swift's My Lady's Lamentation (1728).[1][relevant?]
The phrase appears in a section entitled "Sad"—in the Aeolus episode[citation needed]—in James Joyce's novel, Ulysses (1918), at the end of a description of the behaviour of newspaper men: "Funny the way the newspaper men veer about when they get wind of a new opening. Weathercocks. Hot and cold in the same breath. Wouldn't know which to believe. One story good till you hear the next. Go for one another baldheaded in the papers and then all blows over. Hailfellow well met the next moment."[2][non-primary source needed][relevant?]
The early twentieth-century English novelist W. Somerset Maugham frequently used the term in his novels and short stories, in particular when he describes male characters of a genial, sociable, and hard-drinking temperament (e.g., Of Human Bondage,[3]The Trembling of a Leaf, and Then and Now).
Contemporary usageedit
In contemporary language the phrase is used as shorthand for someone who is genial or hearty but with the implication of superficiality or ingratiation.[4] We can see a contemporary use of the phrase in the highly acclaimed and popular BBC series Downton Abbey. In Episode 7 of Season 4 Mrs. Patmore, the cook, uses the phrase hail fellow well met to refer to Americans.[5]
Linguistic observationsedit
Kuiper uses the fact that this idiom is a phrase that is a part of the English lexicon (technically, a "phrasal lexical item"), and that there are different ways that the expression can be presented—for instance, as the common "hail-fellow-well-met," which appears as a modifier before the noun it modifies,[6][7]versus the more original greeting form of "Hail fellow. Well met"; these variants are given as an example to explain how changes between the two (deformation), performed for the sake of artistry in writing (i.e., artistic deformation), can move alternative interpretations to the foreground (i.e., can create "syntactic ambiguity"[citation needed]); that is, ambiguity can be foregrounded by artistic deformation, including, Kuiper notes, toward the end of creating humorous interpretations.[6]
Notesedit
Phrase appears in Public Broadcasting Service program Frontline Episode: Gunned Down (aired January 6, 2015), at time 20:42, said by J. Warren Cassidy, former NRA Executive V.P.[8]
Phrase used in Chess in the song “Difficult and Dangerous Times”, referring to a chess match as a “sweet hail-fellow-well-met affair”.
In Stephen King's books, the question "are we well met?" or its affirmation are often used. It is a particularly common phrase in The Dark Tower, which has many other archaisms.
In the first episode of the sixth season of Cheers, Frasier Crane refers to Norm Peterson and Cliff Claven as "hail fellows well met."
Phrase used in the novel "Jubb," by Keith Waterhouse, referring to getting knocked over by a dog.
Phrase used by Magnus Burnsides during the Balance arc of the McElroy family's "The Adventure Zone" podcast.[10]
Referencesedit
^Farmer, John Stephen; Henley, William Ernest (1893). Slang and Its Analogues Past and Present. p. 246.
^Joyce, James (2000) [1918]. "Sad". In Kiberd, Declan (ed.). Ulysses. Everyman's library, Modern Classics. Vol. 100. London, ENG: Penguin. pp. 158f. ISBN0141182806. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
^Maugham, William Somerset (1915) [1915]. Of Human Bondage. New York: Grosset & Dunlap. pp. 561. Retrieved 5 November 2015. He had a persuasive hail-fellow well-met air with him which appealed to customers of this sort...
^ abKuiper, Koenraad (2007). "Cathy Wilcox meets the phrasal lexicon: Creative deformation of phrasal lexical items for humorous effect". In Munat, Judith (ed.). Lexical Creativity, Texts and Contexts. Studies in Functional and Structural Linguistics. Vol. 58. Amsterdam, NH, NLD: John Benjamins. pp. 101, 93. doi:10.1075/sfsl.58.14kui. ISBN978-9027215673. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
^The appearance of the idiom before the noun it modifies classifies its use in this case as a "prenominal modifier." See Kuiper (2007), op. cit., [Needed here is a further citation to define the term.],[citation needed] and Maugham (1915), op. cit. for an example.
Anon. (2008) "Hail Fellow Well Met," in Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, Cambridge, ENG: Cambridge University Press, ISBN0521674689 see [1], accessed 5 November 2015.
External linksedit
Look up hail fellow well met in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Meaning of "Hail fellow well met" at phrases.org.uk
April 05, 2024
hail, fellow, well, english, idiom, used, when, referring, person, whose, behavior, hearty, friendly, congenial, affirmative, sense, contents, etymology, historic, usage, contemporary, usage, linguistic, observations, notes, references, further, reading, exter. Hail fellow well met is an English idiom used when referring to a person whose behavior is hearty friendly and congenial in the affirmative sense Contents 1 Etymology 2 Historic usage 3 Contemporary usage 4 Linguistic observations 5 Notes 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksEtymology editThe Oxford English Dictionary OED gives a 1589 quotation for this phrase as a friendly greeting and quotations for the related phrase hail fellow a greeting that apparently dates to medieval times Well met appears to have been added to the phrase in the 16th century to intensify its friendliness and derives from the concept of good to meet you and also from the meaning of meet as something literally the right size for a given situation citation needed Historic usage editIn 1609 Thomas Dekker used the term in The Gull s Hornbook when at a new play you take up the twelve penny room next the stage because the Lords and you may seem to be haile fellow wel met there draw forth this booke read alowd laugh alowd and play the Antickes that all the garlicke mouthd stinkards may cry out Away with the fool The expression appeared in Jonathan Swift s My Lady s Lamentation 1728 1 relevant The phrase appears in a section entitled Sad in the Aeolus episode citation needed in James Joyce s novel Ulysses 1918 at the end of a description of the behaviour of newspaper men Funny the way the newspaper men veer about when they get wind of a new opening Weathercocks Hot and cold in the same breath Wouldn t know which to believe One story good till you hear the next Go for one another baldheaded in the papers and then all blows over Hailfellow well met the next moment 2 non primary source needed relevant The early twentieth century English novelist W Somerset Maugham frequently used the term in his novels and short stories in particular when he describes male characters of a genial sociable and hard drinking temperament e g Of Human Bondage 3 The Trembling of a Leaf and Then and Now Contemporary usage editIn contemporary language the phrase is used as shorthand for someone who is genial or hearty but with the implication of superficiality or ingratiation 4 We can see a contemporary use of the phrase in the highly acclaimed and popular BBC series Downton Abbey In Episode 7 of Season 4 Mrs Patmore the cook uses the phrase hail fellow well met to refer to Americans 5 Linguistic observations editKuiper uses the fact that this idiom is a phrase that is a part of the English lexicon technically a phrasal lexical item and that there are different ways that the expression can be presented for instance as the common hail fellow well met which appears as a modifier before the noun it modifies 6 7 versus the more original greeting form of Hail fellow Well met these variants are given as an example to explain how changes between the two deformation performed for the sake of artistry in writing i e artistic deformation can move alternative interpretations to the foreground i e can create syntactic ambiguity citation needed that is ambiguity can be foregrounded by artistic deformation including Kuiper notes toward the end of creating humorous interpretations 6 Notes editPhrase appears in Public Broadcasting Service program Frontline Episode Gunned Down aired January 6 2015 at time 20 42 said by J Warren Cassidy former NRA Executive V P 8 Phrase used by Alan Partridge when greeting co host Sidekick Simon Denton in episode 1 of This Time with Alan Partridge broadcast on BBC 1 on 25 February 2019 9 Phrase used in Chess in the song Difficult and Dangerous Times referring to a chess match as a sweet hail fellow well met affair In Stephen King s books the question are we well met or its affirmation are often used It is a particularly common phrase in The Dark Tower which has many other archaisms In the first episode of the sixth season of Cheers Frasier Crane refers to Norm Peterson and Cliff Claven as hail fellows well met Phrase used in the novel Jubb by Keith Waterhouse referring to getting knocked over by a dog Phrase used by Magnus Burnsides during the Balance arc of the McElroy family s The Adventure Zone podcast 10 References edit Farmer John Stephen Henley William Ernest 1893 Slang and Its Analogues Past and Present p 246 Joyce James 2000 1918 Sad In Kiberd Declan ed Ulysses Everyman s library Modern Classics Vol 100 London ENG Penguin pp 158f ISBN 0141182806 Retrieved 5 November 2015 Maugham William Somerset 1915 1915 Of Human Bondage New York Grosset amp Dunlap pp 561 Retrieved 5 November 2015 He had a persuasive hail fellow well met air with him which appealed to customers of this sort hail fellow well met Collins English Dictionary Retrieved 5 February 2021 http downtonabbeyonline com downton abbey episode guide downton abbey season 4 episode 7 a b Kuiper Koenraad 2007 Cathy Wilcox meets the phrasal lexicon Creative deformation of phrasal lexical items for humorous effect In Munat Judith ed Lexical Creativity Texts and Contexts Studies in Functional and Structural Linguistics Vol 58 Amsterdam NH NLD John Benjamins pp 101 93 doi 10 1075 sfsl 58 14kui ISBN 978 9027215673 Retrieved 5 November 2015 The appearance of the idiom before the noun it modifies classifies its use in this case as a prenominal modifier See Kuiper 2007 op cit Needed here is a further citation to define the term citation needed and Maugham 1915 op cit for an example Gunned Down The Power of the NRA PBS This Time with Alan Partridge Series 1 Episode 1 retrieved 2019 03 03 The Adventure Zone CharactersFurther reading editAnon 2008 Hail Fellow Well Met in Cambridge Advanced Learner s Dictionary Cambridge ENG Cambridge University Press ISBN 0521674689 see 1 accessed 5 November 2015 External links edit nbsp Look up hail fellow well met in Wiktionary the free dictionary Meaning of Hail fellow well met at phrases org uk Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hail fellow well met amp oldid 1201491826, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
