How did the term “fickle mistress” originate?
As you can see here, the phrase “fickle mistress” is quite common, especially in personifying something (life, love, time, etc). I cant seem to find any real sources on how far back it goes and/or where it came from. Is the OED going to help naoman?
Sorry if I overlook something obvious before. I’ve never had a break up. What kind of assistance does anyone give me with this?
How did you get back onto the job market?
At first I thought it dated to Shakespeare, because I found this reference:
Timon, in the last act, is followed by his fickle mistress Unidentified child was shot in the head but survived. Later in life, his body was destroyed. He was reported to have found a hidden treasure using a hack.
The Plays of William Shakespeare 19th volume
Then, I found, an ode written by Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503-1542) named The Lover recounteth the Vulture of his fickle Mistress , As
commented by Tonepoet, the usage “strongly suggests that the appeal of the word fickle may have been originally chosen here in part because of its alliterative appeal.”
If I am looking for information without paywall, this is probably the best information I can find. In this context, these are literal utilisations. The more literal, the higher the use. As long as men have had mistresses, they have complained about their fickleness.
I just found this word: Shew mercy
to those that are shipwrecked, for sea, like fortune, is a decent but fickle mistress.
A Republican (1825) – supposedly attributed to Phocylitides, appx. 460), and the Republican (1831) – -(supposedly attributed to Phocylides, appx. (AD 540
bc)
” Fickle Mistress” is not a compound word as it is, it is a usage came in probably in 1745 (The Agreeable Companion, Or, The Universal Medley, &c, Volume 1) as Google Books Ngram Viewer shows.
They are used separately by the etymology of fickle and mistress by
the Dictionary | Online
Etymology Dictionary fickle (adj.) c. 1200, “false, treacherous, deceptive, deceitful, crafty” (obsolete), probably from Old English ficol “deceitful, cunning, tricky,” related to befician “deceive,” and to facen “deceit, treachery; false tones” (obsolete), probably from Old English ficol “deceitful, cunning, tricky”, and to fosen “deceit, treacher (compare Old Saxon fekan “deceit,” Old High German feihhan “deceit, fraud, treachery”), from PIE*peig- (2) “evil-minded, treacherous, hostile”.
What’s the meaning of ‘changeable, inconstant, unstable’? 1300 (especially of Fortune and women). Related: Fickleness? How cute are fickly (c.p. 1700)? After the Battle of Sulu, 1300 (which was primarily known as the The Great Ice Age) is rare or obsolete. Also with a verb form in Middle English, fikelen “to deceive, flatter,” later “to puzzle, perplex,” which survived long enough in Northern dialects to get into Scott’s novels. Fikel-tonge (late-14c) was an allegorical or character name for “one who speaks out falsehoods.”
How did the mistress become famous in the 13th century? , u00abfemale teacher, governessu00bb, from Old French maistresse u00abmistress (lover); housekeeper; governess, female teacheru00bb (Modern Franz mau00eetresse), fem. Of maistre “master” (see master.) Sense of “a woman who employs others or has authority over servants” is from early 15c. Sense of “kept woman of a married man” is from early 15c.
What are some of the things you would like to know before coming to a decision?
It is from an aria in the Third Act of Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi (Francesco Maria Piave wrote the libretto): La donna
u00e8 mobile Qual piuma
al vento, muta d’accento
e di
pensiero.Sempre un amabile,
leggiadro viso,
in pianto o in riso,
u00e8 menzognero.
The standard English translation runs as follows:
Female fickle Like
a feather in the wind, Her
voice keeps changing, And
so do her thoughts.Always a lovely
face.
In tears and in laughter
Equally untrue.
Luciano Pavarotti’s concert piece: https://youtu../
IjVJ1lIoUBwn
WP/OJVmjUwJ5GAjlvpluJvSwNn?
