meaning 2

Question

Hello,He was shaking himself tenderly to find out whether he rally was broken into forty pieces, as he fancied.What is meaning of the above sentences?What is meaning of  as he fancied?Thanks.

Pieanne · Accepted Answer

"As he fancied" = "as he imagined"  (has is to do with "skaken to pieces?)

Philip · Answer

Pieanne"As he fancied" = "as he imagined" (has is to do with "skaken to pieces?)

I cannot criticize the original, but it isn't how I would use the word 'fancy'. I usually think of it as more or less wishful thinking, perhaps because of its closeness to 'take a fancy to', meaning 'to like'. And certainly he would not 'take a fancy' to being shaken to pieces.

Pieanne · Answer

Neither would I. But there are many uses of "fancy". "Take a fancy" is quite different, I'm all with you there <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/> You can, in some cases, "fancy" (="imagine") something is happening, it may be an older version of the meaning (I may get corrected here).

MrPedantic · Answer

Pieanne...it may be an older version of the meaning...

Cf. the C18/C19 debates about "Fancy vs Imagination".

MrP

meaning 2

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