fetch and carry

See also: fetch-and-carry

English

WOTD – 20 September 2021

Etymology

From fetch +‎ and +‎ carry, originally a reference to a trained dog fetching and conveying an object back to its master:[1] see, for example, William Shakespeare’s play The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act III, scene i (spelling modernized): “She hath more qualities than a water-spaniel, […] She can fetch and carry: why a horse can do no more; nay, a horse cannot fetch, but only carry, therefore is she better than a jade.”[2]

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation, NYC) IPA^(key): /ˌfɛt͡ʃ n̩ ˈkæɹi/
(Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA^(key): /ˌfɛt͡ʃ n̩ ˈkɛɹi/
Rhymes: -æɹi
Hyphenation: fetch and car‧ry

Verb

fetch and carry (third-person singular simple present fetches and carries, present participle fetching and carrying, simple past and past participle fetched and carried) (idiomatic)

(intransitive)
1. To serve obsequiously.
  - 1795, [Samuel Jackson] Pratt, “Letter XXXVII. To the Same [the Honourable Mrs. B.].”, in Gleanings through Wales, Holland and Westphalia. With Views of Peace and War at Home and Abroad. […], volume II, London: […] T[homas] N[orton] Longman, and L. B. Seeley, […], OCLC 519505621, pages 202–203:
    It was curious to ſee what heavy burthens your true court-bred ladies and gentlemen can bear in the ſervice of their prince, aye and bear ſmilingly. […] [L]ike that enduring animal [the ass] they appeared to be ſo familiar with ſlavery, that they took patiently what nothing but a beaſt of burthen would deign to carry. […] As Benedict ſays, "an oak with but one green leaf on it, would have refuſed" to fetch and carry in this cur or courtier-like manner.
  - 1819 July 1, “The Political Vis——ss”, in [John Mitford], editor, The New Bon Ton Magazine; or, Telescope of the Times, volume III, number 15, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], OCLC 314782218, page 179:
    A nephew of hers, after receiving some learning at her ladyship's expence, got a commission, and fell upon the field of Waterloo; another is still at her heels, as a sort of jackall to fetch and carry when required.
  - 1836, “‘’Tis Only My Husband!’”, in The Every Body’s Album: A Humorous Collection of Tales, Quips, Quirks, Anecdotes, and Facetiæ, volume I, Philadelphia, Pa.: Charles Alexander, […], OCLC 9040408, page 371:
    Fitz was thus changed at once into "only my husband"—the humblest of all humble animals. He fetches and carries; goes errands, lugs bandboxes and bundles; takes up the yelling little Fitzgigs at night, when they squall, and walks in his shirt with them up and down the room for hours, whether the weather be warm or cold; […]
  - 1855 December – 1857 June, Charles Dickens, “A Shoal of Barnacles”, in Little Dorrit, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1857, OCLC 83401042, book the first (Poverty), page 302:
    [T]hey fetched and carried, and toadied and jobbed, and corrupted, and ate heaps of dirt, and were indefatigable in the public service.
  - c. 1868–1869, “an Edinburgh lady” [pseudonym], “Mrs. Malapert’s Letters to Her Cousin. No. 1. On Sick Cookery.”, in English Homes, or, Our Own “Saxon” Periodical: A Suggestive Family Journal, London: Groomsbridge and Sons; Edinburgh: J. Menzies & Co.; Dublin: McGlashan & Gill, OCLC 310762576, page 328:
    But in reality, if girls get under kind mistresses who would teach them, and they were willing, they would be fit for any kitchen maid's situation; […] And then see what advantages those young girls had who were only fit to fetch and carry as they were ordered, but nevertheless had their wits about them and picked up a deal of knowledge, while only useful to hand things.
  - 1878 September 7, [Annie] Keary, “A Doubting Heart”, in Littel’s Living Age, volume XXIII (5th Series; volume CXXXVIII overall), number 1786, Boston, Mass.: Littel & Gay, OCLC 913200987, chapter X (Horace Kirkman), page 610:
    Can't I carry those things anywhere for you? No? to Lady River's room you say, and I should disturb her. Too clumsy, in fact—but what am I good for but to fetch and carry for you?
  - 1895 September, W[illiam] Clark Russell, “A Three-stranded Yarn. The Wreck of the Lady Emma.”, in [John Brisben Walker and A. S. Hardy], editors, The Cosmopolitan: A Monthly Illustrated Magazine, volume XIX, number 5, Irvington-on-the-Hudson, N.Y.: J[ohn] B[risben] Walker; from the Cosmopolitan Press, OCLC 228687900, chapter XXVIII (Mr. Moore Ends His Story), page 556, column 2:
    Without his inspiring companionship her spirits would have sunk, her heart must have broken. He fetched and carried, cooked and toiled, for her comfort; he devised a dozen schemes to divert her.
  - 1987, Neil Philip, “The Marriage of Sir Gawain”, in The Tale of Sir Gawain, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Lutterworth Press, →ISBN, page 40:
    So for weeks the king [King Arthur] was a drudge, fetching and carrying for this surly, bullying master.
  - 1988, Hans Lenneberg, “The Memoirs of Eduard Hanslick”, in Witnesses and Scholars: Studies in Musical Biography (Musicology; 5), New York, N.Y.; London: Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, →ISBN, ISSN 0275-5866, page 151:
    Miss [Marie] Recio dominated [Hector] Berlioz who fetched and carried for her in the rôle of the henpecked lover, a part ridiculously at odds with the composer's arrogance – nor did it suit those eyes and that head.
  - 1998, Sarah Dreher, chapter 1, in Shaman’s Moon (A Stoner McTavish Mystery), Norwich, Vt.: New Victoria Publishers, →ISBN, page 17:
    If they all knew how she was feeling, they'd probably start treating her like an old person. Raising their voices and speaking in simple sentences and fetching and carrying. Hermione Moore had no intention of being fetched and carried for as long as she could assume a vertical position.
2. (dated) To carry gossip, news, etc., from one person to another; to bear tales, to gossip.
  Synonyms: see Thesaurus:gossip
  - 1770, Samuel Foote, The Lame Lover, a Comedy in Three Acts. […], London: […] Paul Vaillant; and sold by P[eter] Elmsly […]; and Robinson and Roberts, […], OCLC 1167851914, Act II, page 50:
    And as Miſs is ſo fond of fetching and carrying, you may tell her we are to have a private play among ourſelves, as the quality have: the Diſtruſtful Mother, 'tis call'd— […]
  - 1796–1797 (date written), Richard Burdsall, Memoirs of the Life of Richard Burdsall; Shewing the Mercy of God in Christ Jesus, to a Sinner; and of His Testimony to the Truth He Hath Received. […], York, Yorkshire: […] W. Hick, […], published [1797], OCLC 1003911729, page 22:
    This young woman had an own cousin lived servant with her father, he was counsel keeper on both sides, and often fetched and carried.
  - 1834 October 24, “IV.—Morality of the Talmud. Hilchoth Deoth:—Ethic Precepts.”, in Morris J[acob] Raphall, editor, The Hebrew Review and Magazine of Rabbinical Literature, volume I, number 4, London: […] Simpkin and Marshall, […], published 1835, OCLC 149675060, division VII, section 2, page 61, column 1:
    What is called talebearing? He that fetches and carries, goes about from one to another, and says, "I have heard so and so from such an one. Such an one has done such a thing." And even should what he asserts be true, it is still mischievous and pernicious, as this prohibition comprises the fearful sin of speaking evil of any one, though it be truth.
(transitive, dated) To carry or convey (gossip, news, etc.) from one person to another; to bear (tales).
- 1681, John Scott, “Concerning the Militant or Warfaring Part of the Christian Life, […]”, in The Christian Life, from Its Beginning, to Its Consummation in Glory; […], London: […] M. Clark, for Walter Kettilby […], OCLC 1227537395, section III (Concerning the Second Part of the Christian Warfare; […]), page 363:
  If we are of a froward peeviſh and untractable Temper, we ſhall be apt when we have nothing elſe to do, to be venting our Activity in factious and turbulent Zeal, in ſeditious Pratings and Conſpiracies, in backbiting our Adverſaries, and fetching and carrying ſcandalous Reports to create Jealouſies and Animoſities between Neighbour and Neighbour.
- 1709, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Criticism, London: […] W. Lewis […], published 1711, OCLC 15810849, page 25:
  Of all this Servile Herd the worſt is He / That in proud Dulneſs joins with Quality, / A conſtant Critick at the Great-man's Board, / To fetch and carry Nonſenſe for my Lord.
- 1789 November, “Zeluco.—Various Views of Human Nature, Taken from Life and Manners, Foreign and Domestic. 2 vols. 8vo. 12s. Cadell. [book review]”, in [Isaac Reed], editor, The European Magazine, and London Review: Containing the Literature, History, Politics, Arts, Manners & Amusements of the Age, volume XVI, London: Philological Society of London; […] J[ohn] Sewell, […], OCLC 1124092247, page 347:
  Bronze is deſcribed as one of thoſe goſſiping companions who knows every body, are of every body's opinion, and are always ready to laugh at every body's joke; who […] allow themſelves to be laughed at, are invited on that account, or to fill a vacant chair at the table, and ſometimes merely to afford the landlord the comfort of having at leaſt one perſon in the company of inferior underſtanding to himſelf, whoſe chief employment is to fetch and carry tittle-tattle, and who become at length as it were one of the family, and are alternately careſſed and abuſed like any other ſpaniel in it.
- 1833 October, [Thomas Babington Macaulay], “Art. XI.—Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford, to Sir Horace Mann, British Envoy at the Court of Tuscany. Now First Published from the Originals in the Possession of the Earl of Waldgrave, Edited by Lord Dover. Three Volumes 8vo. London: 1833 [book review]”, in The Edinburgh Review, or Critical Journal, volume LVIII, number CXVII, Edinburgh: […] Ballantyne and Company, for Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longman, […]; and Adam and Charles Black, […], published 1834, OCLC 950902861, page 228:
  While he [Horace Walpole] was fetching and carrying the gossip of Kensington Palace and Carlton House, he fancied that he was engaged in politics, and when he recorded that gossip, he fancied that he was writing history.
- 1859 September 10, “Notes and Queries. [No. 357.—Dr. Beddoes’ [Thomas Beddoes?] Iatrologia.]”, in The Medical Times and Gazette. A Journal of Medical Science, Literature, Criticism, and News, volume IX, number 480 (New Series; volume XL, number 1041 overall), London: John Churchill, […], OCLC 1045283775, page 259, column 2:
  [T]he gossiping good-sort-of-man doctor, who "fetches and carries scandal;" […]
- 1869 January, “My Enemy’s Daughter”, in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, volume XXXVIII, number CCXXIV, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], OCLC 924884025, chapter III (A Sea-fight), page 257, column 1:
  [Y]ou come here to watch that girl, and spy upon her, and fetch and carry stories about her, to get her dismissed from the choir; I dare say that's why you come here.

Derived terms

fetch-and-carry

Translations

to serve obsequiously

to carry gossip, news, etc. from one person to another

References

“to fetch and carry” under “fetch, v.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, June 2021; “fetch and carry, phrase”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
William Shakespeare (c. 1590–1591), “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, Act III, scene i, page 30, column 2: “Shee hath more qualities then a Water-Spaniell, […] Shee can fetch and carry: why a horſe can doe no more; nay, a horſe cannot fetch, but onely carry, therefore is ſhee better then a Iade.”