Quick: Is it "baited breath" or "bated breath"?

BurtWorm

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Wed May-26-04 10:13 AM
Original message

Quick: Is it "baited breath" or "bated breath"?

:dunce:

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radwriter0555

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Wed May-26-04 10:14 AM
Response to Original message

1. bated. as in "abated" as in to hold back. One hold's one's breath

in 'bated' breath.

Baited would be FISH.

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Misunderestimator

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Wed May-26-04 10:14 AM
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2. Bated... otherwise, I'd assume you'd have a mouth full of worms. n/t

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Misunderestimator

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Wed May-26-04 10:15 AM
Original message

And in case anyone's interested:

http://www.quinion.com/words/qa/qa-bai1.htm

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Feanorcurufinwe

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Wed May-26-04 10:19 AM
Response to Original message

6. Great poem

Cruel Clever Cat by Geoffrey Taylor

Sally, having swallowed cheese,
Directs down holes the scented breeze,
Enticing thus with baited breath
Nice mice to an untimely death.

http://www.quinion.com/words/qa/qa-bai1.htm

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rock

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Wed May-26-04 10:32 AM
Response to Reply #6

8. And I was just going to ask

Why would one want his breath baited? Now I see.

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Feanorcurufinwe

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Wed May-26-04 10:15 AM
Response to Original message

3. Bated nt

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Richardo

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Wed May-26-04 10:16 AM
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4. Bated...

Unless it's a landed bass.

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BurtWorm

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Wed May-26-04 10:17 AM
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5. Thank ye kindly, y'all!

:toast:

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wysimdnwyg

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Wed May-26-04 10:24 AM
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7. Sorry, but it's "baited"

As if you had used a breath freshener in anticipation of close contact with someone.

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Xithras

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Wed May-26-04 10:35 AM
Response to Reply #7

9. Nope, here's the real skinny:

This is an OLD term, Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice, written in 1596: 'With bated breath, and whispring humblenesse..."

"Bated" is an old English word for lessened or diminished (obviously closely related to Abated). To "pause with bated breath" means your holding (i.e. lessening or diminishing) your breath, usually in anticipation of something that's about to happen.

Bated has fallen out of regular use except for the two terms "bated breath" and "bated enthusiasm".

Baited breath is something a fish would have :)

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Rowdyboy

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Wed May-26-04 12:45 PM
Response to Original message

10. Or as Mork (Robin Williams) called it "I wait with worm on tongue!"

Edited on Wed May-26-04 12:47 PM by Rowdyboy

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