I say we decK the halls!

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englishhobby

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"OKay, everyone, let’s get busy!
Uh, gifts here and, uh decorations there.
I say we decK the halls!"




It's what one of the characters in the cartoon movie A Very Merry Pooh Year says. I am not sure I understand it correctly. Does he mean cleaning the floor? :-?
 
No, it means to decorate the large rooms (halls) for an event, usually for Christmas.

There is a Christmas carol called "Deck The Halls" which includes the line "Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa-la-la-la-la, fa la, la, la".
 
No, it means to decorate the large rooms (halls) for an event, usually for Christmas.

There is a Christmas carol called "Deck The Halls" which includes the line "Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa-la-la-la-la, fa la, la, la".

Is to deck colloquial, derived from "to decorate"?
And why is I say used here? For emphasis? How would the meaning of the phrase change without it?
 
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"OKay, everyone, let’s get busy!
Uh, gifts here and, uh decorations there.
I say we decK the halls!"



It's what one of the characters in the cartoon movie A Very Merry Pooh Year says. I am not sure I understand it correctly. Does he mean cleaning the floor? :-?

"I say we" introduces a suggestion. It could be replaced by "Let's'.
 
Is it colloquial, derived from "to decorate"?
And why is I say used here? For emphasis? How would the meaning of the phrase change without it?

:-? I think 'derived from' is a bit questionable. They both appeared in the early 15th century, decorate from Latin and deck from Old English. They're related certainly, through the Proto Indo European *dek- And I wouldn't say it was colloquial; the colloquial verb that comes to mind with the meaning of 'decorate' is pimp ;-)


It is certainly archaic. BNC has only 101 occurrences of 'decked', some of which, I imagine, refer to a fighter being decked. But the first ten I browsed through all have the decorative meaning:

1 A0D W_fict_prose A B C as he kissed her good bye before school; and Mother in full evening dress decked out in false pearls, her eyelashes beaded with mascara, dominating the stage in
2 A6N W_fict_prose A B C their shame and apprehension gone. The concert was amateur. A group of girls decked with medals danced. A blue-suited man sang. An old man played several airs
3 ABW W_fict_prose A B C occasion -- such as the Queen Mother's birthday -- caused the cottage to be decked with red, white and blue bunting. The Post Office was a great centre
4 ACK W_fict_prose A B C the river to see the villa where they were shown round by the WEA class decked out as praetorian guards and vestal virgins. Now here's Mike with Jilly's
5 CAB W_fict_prose A B C is a surprise!' He turned to frown her into silence. She was decked out in her Sunday best. A pink pillar-box hat was perched precariously on her
6 CDY W_fict_prose A B C corner by the range. She was very upright, like a wizened doll, decked out in a bright flowery overall with carpet slippers on her feet. Her hair
7 CE5 W_fict_prose A B C where Ray Doyle lay in a state somewhere equally between life and death, was decked out like the inside of a spaceship. Wires, screens, machines and consoles
8 CMP W_fict_prose A B C , dukes, earls, and counts. There were plenipotentiaries in court uniforms so decked with gold that their coats seemed like sheets of light. There were jewelled stars
9 EFW W_fict_prose A B C still contained any water). The Magistrate, nowadays a mere heap of bones decked with cinnamon whiskers, had summoned a little energy with which to pour scorn on
10 EWF W_fict_prose A B C : "... beneath whose sable roof Of boughs, as if for festal purpose decked With unrejoicing berries -- ghostly shapes May mee...
See more here.

The BNC also has a smaller number (38) of the even more archaic bedecked.

b

PS 'I say we' is a colloquial way of making a suggestion.
PPS There must be an echo in here :oops:
 
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