beshrew

American  

[bih-shroo] / bɪˈʃru /

verb (used with object)

Archaic.

1. to curse; invoke evil upon.

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beshrew British  

/ bɪˈʃruː /

verb

1. archaic (tr) to wish evil on; curse (used in mild oaths such as beshrew me )

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Etymology

Origin of beshrew

First recorded in 1275–1325, beshrew is from the Middle English word beshrewen. See be-, shrew ¹

Explanation

To beshrew is to invoke a curse on someone. Horrified at discovering an empty baking pan, you might yell, "Beshrew all of you who ate my brownies!" The verb beshrew is so old fashioned that you're most likely to discover it in a play or poem by Shakespeare, who used it frequently. When the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet says, "Beshrew your heart for sending me about, to catch my death with jaunting up and down!", what she means is "Curse you for making me run around so much!" Beshrew comes from shrew, an animal believed to have a poisonous bite.

Example Sentences

But listen now: I have weightier matters; I have eggs on the spit, beshrew me else!

From Judith Shakespeare Her love affairs and other adventures by Black, William

You try me, just you gimme a desert island, or even a pirut ship, a week, like the chance you got, an’ beshrew me, but any heartless jade would be mine!”

From The Lady and the Pirate Being the Plain Tale of a Diligent Pirate and a Fair Captive by Mathes, Harry A.

There's the wine, an it's not better than your temper, beshrew me for the enemy of true hospitality.

From Under the Rose by Isham, Frederic Stewart

And I do lustily beshrew fate that these be but dreams.

From Eugene Field, a Study in Heredity and Contradictions — Volume 2 by Thompson, Slason

Folks talked of the vanity of our good Queen Bess, and called her mighty extravagant; but beshrew me if she were half as vain or extravagant as our noble King Jamie!

From The Lost Treasure of Trevlyn A Story of the Days of the Gunpowder Plot by Everett-Green, Evelyn