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Discussion » Questions » Language » "A POX ON YOUR HOUSE" or "A CURSE ON YOUR FAMILY"? Which do you fear worse? A POX or a CURSE? Why?
RosieG

"A POX ON YOUR HOUSE" or "A CURSE ON YOUR FAMILY"? Which do you fear worse? A POX or a CURSE? Why?

If some wishes a pox on you what is it? Smallpox? Chickenpox? If someone places a curse on your family it's like a vendetta that lasts for centuries and is passed down from generation to generation.  I guess neither one is a good thing. I wonder how a pox would manifest itself or a curse?

Posted - December 2, 2017
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Responses


  • 6124
    I don't fear either one.  It's all a bunch of baloney.  (see Rosie?  I've made an attempt to keep it clean just for you dear).

    To answer your questions about pox, this is as good an explanation as any IMHO...

    https://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/50/messages/583.html

    A pox be on you

    Posted by Victoria S Dennis on October 27, 2006

    In Reply to: A pox be on you posted by Troy on October 27, 2006

    : Does anyone know the meaning of "A pox be on you"??? Please help

    A pox was any disease whose major symptom was "pocks", i.e. eruptive pustules on the skin, such as small-pox, chicken-pox, or cow-pox (all of which can leave pockmarks). If the kind of pox was not otherwise specified, the "great pox" (syphilis) was what was meant. So "Pox on you!" means "I hope you get syphilis!" Sometimes it is used of inanimate or abstracts things, e.g. in Shakespeare "A pox of that jest!" which obviously makes no literal sense; here it is just roughly equivalent to "To hell with..."







      December 2, 2017 7:28 AM MST
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  • 113301
     You are a good person Harry. I appreciate it. I also appreciate your thoughtful and very informative answer. Happy Sunday m'dear! :) Oh. By the way FYI. Had you said "it's all a crock of sh **" I would not have minded. I love asterisks and often talk in somewhat saucy salty language. I also say "rat's a**" and "bullsh**". Just for future reference. I am NOT purely innocent. It's just that certain kinds of salty language embarrass me. I'm old and old-fashioned. I have never learned how to pronounce an asterisk when I actually used those words at home (always directed at the TV and some dumba** politician). I suppose you'd say a-asterisk asterisk or "rat's a asterisk asterisk". Takes away a bit of the joy though. :)
      December 3, 2017 7:06 AM MST
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  • 6124
    It does take away the joy for me.

    Also, I put on a good show of it at times.  I'm really not a good person.  
      December 3, 2017 7:08 AM MST
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