I devote you to the Devil'
The show being over, the flutter in the air became quite a little storm, and the precious little bells went ringing downstairs. There was soon but one person left of all the crowd, and he, with his hat under his arm and his snuff-box in his hand, slowly passed among the mirrors on his way out.
“I devote you,” said this person, stopping at the last door on his way, and turning in the direction of the sanctuary, “to the Devil!”
With that, he shook the snuff from his fingers as if he had shaken the dust from his feet, and quietly walked downstairs.
---A Tale of Two Cities
Could anyone please explain what the connotation of words mean in blue?
why did Dickens describe he shook the snuff ? Why did he say 'I devote you to the Devil'?
Thank you very much!
Top answer
I'm not familiar with the expression 'I devote you to the Devil'. It's probably archaic now. A similar and less old-fashioned saying is '(may) the Devil take you'.
- I'm not familiar with the expression 'I devote you to the Devil'.
- It's probably archaic now.
- A similar and less old-fashioned saying is '(may) the Devil take you'.
- This is a way of cursing someone and of saying that you want nothing more to do with them.
- That's probably what Dickens's character means.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
I'm not familiar with the expression 'I devote you to the Devil'. It's probably archaic now. A similar and less old-fashioned saying is '(may) the Devil take you'. This is a way of cursing someone and of saying that you want nothing more to do with them. That's probably what Dickens's character means.
Shaking the dust of a place off your feet is a traditional way of in
0
Related Questions