get medieval

verb
/ˌɡɛt ˌmɛd.iˈiː.vəl/UK/ˌɡɛt mɪdˈi.vəl/US

Etymology

From get (“to become”) + medieval (“relating to medieval dungeon torture methods”); originally merely collocational when attested in the dialogue of the 1994 film Pulp Fiction, but the collocation took on the function of a phrasal verb, entering the lexicon as a term for torturing severely, after it went viral as a consequence of the film's popularity.

Definitions

  1. To become sadistically torturous, especially due to vengeful spite.

    • So don't be vain and don't be whiny Or else, my brother, I might have to get medieval on your heinie
    • I got medieval on both their asses, packed all the shit I could possibly carry, and caught a cab to my sister's place near 135th and 5th Avenue in Harlem.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for get medieval. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA