bebother

English

WOTD – 17 February 2013

Etymology

From be- (“thoroughly”) +‎ bother.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /bəˈbɑðɚ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /bəˈbɒðə/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Hyphenation: be‧both‧er

Verb

bebother (third-person singular simple present bebothers, present participle bebothering, simple past and past participle bebothered)

1. (transitive) To bring trouble upon.
   • 1896, Sabine Baring-Gould, The Broom-Squire, published 1905, page 6:

     “There is brass for all. Just home, paid off—and find my wife dead—and me saddled with the yowling kid. I’m off to sea again. Don’t see no sport widering here all bebothered with a baby.”

   • 1908, Edward Lear, Letters of Edward Lear to Chichester Fortescue, Lord Carlingford, and Frances, Countess Waldegrave‎^[1], page 114:

     At present I am all upside down—nohow—bebothered—& can only write this much.

   • 1937, J. R. R. Tolkien, chapter 1, in The Hobbit:

     ‘Confusticate and bebother these dwarves!’ he said aloud.

   • 1990, Pieter-Dirk Uys, A Part Hate, A Part Love: The Biography of Evita Bezuidenhout‎^[2], page 185:

     ‘ […] But above all ... above all, you are the bewitching bebothering and bewildering Evita!'

Translations

to bring trouble upon

• Finnish: vaivata (fi), olla vaivaksi
• Swedish: besvära (sv)