Word of the Day
: October 17, 2010hie
playWhat It Means
1 : to go quickly : hasten
2 : to cause (oneself) to go quickly
hie in Context
Every autumn, we hie ourselves down to the county fair for a day of greasy food and entertainment.
"If you're interested in acting, and you're between 14 and 19, hie thee to the Long Wharf Theatre this week, where Annie DiMartino is running auditions for 'The Taming of the Shrew,' as part of a new Shake-It-Up Shakespeare for teens." -- From an article by Sandi Kahn Shelton in the New Haven Register, July 26, 2010
Did You Know?
"Hie" has been part of English since the 12th century, and it stems from the even hoarier "hīgian," an Old English word meaning "to strive" or "to hasten." "Hie" enjoyed a high popularity period from the 16th to the 19th centuries, and you're sure to encounter it in the literature of those times -- writers from Shakespeare to Twain penned it into their prose. But don't get the idea that "hie" is just a word of the past; it regularly pops up in current publications as well -- often, though not always, in contexts in which the author is wanting to approximate an old-timey way of communicating.
Test Your Memory: Our featured word on September 30 was "raconteur." It means ...
