Re: CHAT: "*** you" (was Re: closet conlanging)

Nik Taylor wrote:
>
> Eric Christopherson wrote:
> > I've often wondered, what is the story with the phrases "bugger you"
> > and the more common American "f*ck you" (If you don't know it, you'll
> > have to guess the vowel ;) ). They don't seem grammatically correct as
> > commands;
>
> Perhaps based on other curses like "damn you"?  Or maybe its simply a
> survival of earlier times when the "you" frequently came *after* the
> imperative (as in "believe you me" = "believe me"), that is, "you f***
> [someone]"?
In Old English, "focken" meant to hit or beat someone.  One can
see how it got it's sexual connotation, also why "f*ck you (= beat you
up)" is an insult.

-- Terry