suit the action to the word
English edit
Etymology edit
A phrase from William Shakespeare's play Hamlet.
Verb edit
suit the action to the word (third-person singular simple present suits the action to the word, present participle suiting the action to the word, simple past and past participle suited the action to the word)
- (idiomatic) To do what one has just proposed or spoken of.
- 1887, R. M. Ballantyne, The Fugitives:
- “Hide!” cried Ebony, with a roll of his huge eyes, as he suited the action to the word, […]
- 2011, James Fenton, A History of Tasmania, page 347:
- After giving vent to violent expressions of hostility, he grasped the bill in his hand and pronounced it to be a huge fraud, fit only to be spat upon, and trampled under foot—whereupon the honourable member suited the action to the word!