Language: en
Meaning: (intransitive)Toserveobsequiously.1795,[Samuel Jackson] Pratt, “Letter XXXVII. To the Same[the Honourable Mrs. B.].”, inGleanings through Wales, Holland and Westphalia. With Views of Peace and War at Home and Abroad.[…], volume II, London:[…]T[homas]N[orton]Longman, and L. B. Seeley,[…],→OCLC,pages202–203:It was curious to ſee what heavy burthens your true court-bred ladies and gentlemen can bear in the ſervice of their prince, aye and bear ſmilingly.[…][L]ike that enduring animal [the ass] they appeared to be ſo familiar with ſlavery, that they took patiently what nothing but a beaſt of burthen would deign to carry.[…]As Benedict ſays, "an oak with but one green leaf on it, would have refuſed" tofetch and carryin this cur or courtier-like manner.1819July 1, “The Political Vis——ss”, in [John Mitford], editor,The New Bon Ton Magazine; or, Telescope of the Times, volume III, number15, London:[…]J[oseph]Johnson,[…],→OCLC,page179:A nephew of hers, after receiving some learning at her ladyship's expence, got a commission, and fell upon the field of Waterloo; another is still at her heels, as a sort of jackall tofetch and carrywhen required.1836, “‘’Tis Only My Husband!’”, inThe Every Body’s Album: A Humorous Collection of Tales, Quips, Quirks, Anecdotes, and Facetiæ, volume I, Philadelphia, Pa.: Charles Alexander,[…],→OCLC,page371:Fitz was thus changed at once into "only my husband"—the humblest of all humble animals. Hefetches and carries; goes errands, lugs bandboxes and bundles; takes up the yelling little Fitzgigs at night, when they squall, and walks in his shirt with them up and down the room for hours, whether the weather be warm or cold;[…]1855December –1857June, Charles Dickens, “A Shoal of Barnacles”, inLittle Dorrit, London:Bradbury and Evans,[…], published1857,→OCLC, book the first (Poverty),page302:[T]heyfetched and carried, and toadied and jobbed, and corrupted, and ate heaps of dirt, and were indefatigable in the public service.c.1868–1869, “an Edinburgh lady”[pseudonym], “Mrs. Malapert’s Letters to Her Cousin. No. 1. On Sick Cookery.”, inEnglish Homes, or, Our Own “Saxon” Periodical: A Suggestive Family Journal, London: Groomsbridge and Sons; Edinburgh: J. Menzies & Co.; Dublin:McGlashan & Gill,→OCLC,page328:But in reality, if girls get under kind mistresses who wouldteach them, and they were willing, they would be fit for any kitchen maid's situation;[…]And then see what advantages those young girls had who were only fit tofetch and carryas they were ordered, but nevertheless had their wits about them and picked up a deal of knowledge, while only useful to hand things.1878September 7,[Annie] Keary, “A Doubting Heart”, inLittel’s Living Age, volume XXIII (5th Series; volume CXXXVIII overall), number1786, Boston, Mass.:Littel & Gay,→OCLC, chapter X (Horace Kirkman),page610:Can't I carry those things anywhere for you? No? to Lady River's room you say, and I should disturb her. Too clumsy, in fact—but what am I good for but tofetch and carryfor you?1895September,W[illiam] Clark Russell, “A Three-stranded Yarn. The Wreck of the Lady Emma.”, in [John Brisben Walkerand A. S. Hardy], editors,The Cosmopolitan: A Monthly Illustrated Magazine, volume XIX, number 5, Irvington-on-the-Hudson, N.Y.: J[ohn]B[risben]Walker; from the Cosmopolitan Press,→OCLC, chapter XXVIII (Mr. Moore Ends His Story),page556, column 2:Without his inspiring companionship her spirits would have sunk, her heart must have broken. Hefetched and carried, cooked and toiled, for her comfort; he devised a dozen schemes to divert her.1987, Neil Philip, “The Marriage of SirGawain”, inThe Tale of Sir Gawain, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire:Lutterworth Press,→ISBN,page40:So for weeks the king [King Arthur] was a drudge,fetching and carryingfor this surly, bullying master.1988, Hans Lenneberg, “The Memoirs ofEduard Hanslick”, inWitnesses and Scholars: Studies in Musical Biography(Musicology; 5), New York, N.Y.; London:Gordon and Breach Science Publishers,→ISBN,→ISSN,page151:Miss[Marie] Reciodominated[Hector] Berliozwhofetched and carriedfor her in the rôle of the henpecked lover, a part ridiculously at odds with the composer's arrogance – nor did it suit those eyes and that head.1998,Sarah Dreher, chapter 1, inShaman’s Moon(A Stoner McTavish Mystery), Norwich, Vt.: New Victoria Publishers,→ISBN,page17:If they all knew how she was feeling, they'd probably start treating her like an old person. Raising their voices and speaking in simple sentences andfetching and carrying. Hermione Moore had no intention of beingfetched and carriedfor as long as she could assume a vertical position.(dated)Tocarrygossip,news, etc., fromonepersontoanother; tobeartales, togossip.Synonyms:seeThesaurus:gossip1770,Samuel Foote,The Lame Lover, a Comedy in Three Acts.[…], London:[…]Paul Vaillant; and sold byP[eter]Elmsly[…]; and Robinson and Roberts,[…],→OCLC, Act II,page50:And as Miſs is ſo fond offetching and carrying, you may tell her we are to have a private play among ourſelves, as the quality have: theDiſtruſtfulMother, 'tis call'd—[…]1796–1797(date written), Richard Burdsall,Memoirs of the Life of Richard Burdsall; Shewing the Mercy of God in Christ Jesus, to a Sinner; and of His Testimony to the Truth He Hath Received.[…], York, Yorkshire:[…]W. Hick,[…], published[1797],→OCLC,page22:This young woman had an own cousin lived servant with her father, he was counsel keeper on both sides, and oftenfetched and carried.1834October 24, “IV.—Morality of the Talmud. Hilchoth Deoth:—Ethic Precepts.”, inMorris J[acob] Raphall, editor,The Hebrew Review and Magazine of Rabbinical Literature, volume I, number 4, London:[…]Simpkin and Marshall,[…], published1835,→OCLC, division VII, section 2,page61, column 1:What is called talebearing? He thatfetches and carries, goes about from one to another, and says, "I have heard so and so from such an one. Such an one has done such a thing." And even should what he asserts be true, it is still mischievous and pernicious, as this prohibition comprises the fearful sin of speaking evil of any one, though it be truth.; (transitive,dated)To carry orconvey(gossip, news, etc.) from one person to another; to bear (tales).1681,John Scott, “Concerning theMilitantorWarfaringPart of the Christian Life,[…]”, inThe Christian Life, from Its Beginning, to Its Consummation in Glory;[…], London:[…]M. Clark, for Walter Kettilby[…],→OCLC, section III (Concerning the Second Part of the Christian Warfare;[…]),page363:If we are of afroward peeviſhanduntractableTemper, we ſhall be apt when we have nothing elſe to do, to be venting our Activity infactiousandturbulentZeal, inſeditiousPratings and Conſpiracies, inbackbitingour Adverſaries, andfetching and carryingſcandalous Reports to create Jealouſies and Animoſities between Neighbour and Neighbour.1711May, [Alexander Pope],An Essay on Criticism, London:[…]W[illiam]Lewis[…]; and sold by W[illiam]Taylor[…], T[homas]Osborn[e][…], and J[ohn]Graves[…],→OCLC,page25:Of all thisServile Herdthe worſt is He / That inproud Dulneſsjoins withQuality, / A conſtant Critick at the Great-man's Board, / Tofetch and carryNonſenſe for my Lord.1735January 13 (Gregorian calendar; indicated as1734),[Alexander] Pope,An Epistle from Mr. Pope, to Dr. Arbuthnot, London:[…]J[ohn]Wright for Lawton Gilliver[…],→OCLC,page12, lines218–221:I ne'r vvith VVits and VVitlings paſt my days, / To ſpread about the Itch of Verſe and Praiſe, / Nor like a Puppy daggled thro' the Tovvn, / Tofetch and carrySing-ſong up and dovvn;[…]1789November, “Zeluco.—Various Views of Human Nature, Taken from Life and Manners, Foreign and Domestic. 2 vols. 8vo. 12s. Cadell. [book review]”, in [Isaac Reed], editor,The European Magazine, and London Review: Containing the Literature, History, Politics, Arts, Manners & Amusements of the Age, volume XVI, London:Philological Society of London;[…]J[ohn]Sewell,[…],→OCLC,page347:Bronze is deſcribed as one of thoſe goſſiping companions who knows every body, are of every body's opinion, and are always ready to laugh at every body's joke; who[…]allow themſelves to be laughed at, are invited on that account, or to fill a vacant chair at the table, and ſometimes merely to afford the landlord the comfort of having at leaſt one perſon in the company of inferior underſtanding to himſelf, whoſe chief employment is tofetch and carrytittle-tattle, and who become at length as it were one of the family, and are alternately careſſed and abuſed like any other ſpaniel in it.1833October,[Thomas Babington Macaulay], “Art. XI.—Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford, toSir Horace Mann, British Envoy at the Court of Tuscany.Now First Published from the Originals in the Possession of theEarl of Waldgrave, Edited byLord Dover. Three Volumes 8vo. London: 1833 [book review]”, inThe Edinburgh Review, or Critical Journal, volume LVIII, number CXVII, Edinburgh:[…]Ballantyne and Company, forLongman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longman,[…]; andAdam and Charles Black,[…], published1834,→OCLC,page228:While he [Horace Walpole] wasfetching and carryingthe gossip of Kensington Palace and Carlton House, he fancied that he was engaged in politics, and when he recorded that gossip, he fancied that he was writing history.1859September 10, “Notes and Queries. [No. 357.—Dr. Beddoes’ [Thomas Beddoes?] Iatrologia.]”, inThe Medical Times and Gazette. A Journal of Medical Science, Literature, Criticism, and News, volume IX, number 480 (New Series; volume XL, number 1041 overall), London:John Churchill,[…],→OCLC,page259, column 2:[T]he gossiping good-sort-of-man doctor, who "fetches and carriesscandal;"[…]1869January, “My Enemy’s Daughter”, inHarper’s New Monthly Magazine, volume XXXVIII, number CCXXIV, New York, N.Y.:Harper & Brothers,[…],→OCLC, chapter III (A Sea-fight),page257, column 1:[Y]ou come here to watch that girl, and spy upon her, andfetch and carrystories about her, to get her dismissed from the choir; I dare say that's why you come here.
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