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Chris -- 2018-04-11
There are 26 unique instances of “cut a swatch through” on Google.
Fan fic
Rurik followed this up with devastating melee attacks that cut a swatch through their enemies.
Backyard naturalist
Several years back, an oil company mistakenly clear cut a swatch through my land (they got confused about where they were).
A swatch, originally from Northumberland dialect, became “a tally attached to cloth sent to be dyed” (Online ED) 400 years ago, before become a sample of cloth a few decades later. A swath is a good A.S. word for “a row of mown grass”. Skeat makes a connection between the cutting and binding of grass and cutting of a strip of cloth that led to the dialect swatch.
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Kudos. A classic.
Hatching new language, one eggcorn at a time.
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Very nice find.
I take it that “swath” was originally associated with the sweeps of a cutting process, but over time it picked up the meaning of “a long broad strip.” Many modern usages seem to apply it to any linear assembly of items … as if one could sweep one’s arm across them and gather them up. (For some reason I feel most comfortable using the word “swath” when it pertains to something referenced with a sweeping motion). If the generalized meaning “long broad strip” is accurate, I can easily imagine how a swatch (sample of cloth) might take the form of a swath … for instance, when selecting a pattern for new draperies. Or have I given “swath” incorrect attributes?
Window Treatment Ideas – Designer Window Treatments – House BeautifulWhether you’re looking for elegant draperies, Roman shades, or a simple swath of fabric, we have window treatment ideas that will complement every room in …
www.housebeautiful.com › Decorating & Ideas – Cached – Similar
Last edited by jorkel (2010-11-07 08:41:29)
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