in fine fettle
English edit
Etymology edit
From in + fine (“of superior quality”) + fettle (“state of physical condition”).[1] Fettle is derived from Late Middle English fetlen (“(verb) to bestow; to fix, prepare, put in place; to prepare (oneself) for battle, gird up; to shape; to be about to, or to ready (oneself), to stay; (adjective) shaped (well or poorly)”) [and other forms],[2] possibly from Old English fetel (“belt, girdle, fettle”),[3] from Proto-Germanic *fatilaz; further etymology unknown.
Pronunciation edit
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɪn ˌfaɪn ˈfɛtl̩/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ɪn ˌfaɪn ˈfɛt(ə)l/, [-ɾ(ə)l]
- Rhymes: -ɛtəl
- Hyphenation: in fine fet‧tle
Prepositional phrase edit
- In good condition; energetic, fit.
- Synonym: fit as a fiddle
- 1979, Douglas Hofstadter, “Crab Canon”, in Gödel, Escher, Bach[1], →ISBN, page 199:
- Tortoise: [Y]ou're looking in very fine fettle these days, I must say.
Achilles: Thank you very much.
Usage notes edit
Also used with other words in place of fine, such as in good fettle and in high fettle.
Translations edit
in good condition — see also fit
|
References edit
- ^ Compare “(to be) in (good, high, etc.) fettle” under “fettle, n.2”, in OED Online , Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, March 2023; “fettle, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
- ^ “fetlen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
- ^ “fettle, v.”, in OED Online , Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, March 2023; “fettle, v.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
Further reading edit
- Michael Quinion (March 4, 2000), “Fine fettle”, in World Wide Words.