in fine fettle

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English

WOTD – 30 June 2023

Etymology

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)”) ,[2] possibly from Old English fetel (“belt, girdle, fettle”),[3] from Proto-Germanic *fatilaz; further etymology unknown.

Pronunciation

Prepositional phrase

in fine fettle

  1. In good condition; energetic, fit.
    Synonym: fit as a fiddle

Usage notes

Also used with other words in place of fine, such as in good fettle and in high fettle.

Translations

References

  1. ^ Compare “(to be) in (good, high, etc.) fettle” under “fettle, n.2”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, March 2023; “fettle, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
  2. ^ “fetlen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  3. ^ “fettle, v.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, March 2023; “fettle, v.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading

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