in one foul swoop
prep_phraseEtymology
Mondegreen variant of in one fell swoop, where "fell" (of a strong and cruel nature; eager and unsparing; grim; fierce; ruthless; savage) is misheard as "foul" (disgusting) or "fowl" (a bird).
Definitions
(Achieved or completed) with a single action
(Achieved or completed) with a single action; in a single stroke.
- The acquiescence of the party as the result of hasty and immature deliberation, is indicative of a supreme contempt of comrades, and vitiates in one foul swoop the conditions that regulate the movement.
- All their suspicions had evaporated in one foul swoop by Neil's announcement, and was now confirmed by a document that if they signed, asked them to become trustees of Neil's charity.
- I need to get it all out at once, inflicting the damage in one foul swoop before facing the fallout left in my wake.
The neighborhood
Vish — recursive loop
No curated loop yet for in one foul swoop. 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