Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
loosed to our undoing
English answer:
won't be released to cause us to suffer in the same way again
Added to glossary by
Yvonne Gallagher
Mar 17, 2016 16:05
8 yrs ago
English term
loosed to our undoing
English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
Learn then from this story not to fear the fruits of the past, but rather to be circumspect in the future, that those foul passions whereby our family has suffered so grievously may not again be loosed to our undoing.
Change log
Mar 17, 2016 16:14: Tony M changed "Field (specific)" from "Business/Commerce (general)" to "General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters"
Mar 17, 2016 18:01: Steffen Walter changed "Field (specific)" from "General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters" to "Poetry & Literature"
Mar 31, 2016 08:34: Yvonne Gallagher Created KOG entry
Responses
+3
18 hrs
Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Ireland
Native in English
&
English
Specializes in field
Ireland
right word, right place. everytime
Native in: English (Variants: US, Canadian, Irish, UK) 
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
317
Selected
won't be released to cause us to suffer in the same way again
as Tony has said "loosed" =unleashed or loosened. He didn't explain "undoing" though which is probably causing the main problem for you?
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/undoing
"undoing" =downfall/ruin/destruction but here it is "suffering"
So, the whole thing rephrased...
circumspect in the future, = be cautious/wary/careful in the future
(so) that those foul passions whereby our family has suffered so grievously= (so that) those awful things that have caused so much suffering to our family
not again be loosed to our undoing=
(those foul passions/awful things) won't be unleashed/released again (in the future) to cause our family the terrible suffering we had to endure in the past
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/undoing
"undoing" =downfall/ruin/destruction but here it is "suffering"
So, the whole thing rephrased...
circumspect in the future, = be cautious/wary/careful in the future
(so) that those foul passions whereby our family has suffered so grievously= (so that) those awful things that have caused so much suffering to our family
not again be loosed to our undoing=
(those foul passions/awful things) won't be unleashed/released again (in the future) to cause our family the terrible suffering we had to endure in the past
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Tony M
4 hrs
|
|
Many thanks. I'd have agreed with yours except it was rather incomplete:-)
|
|
| agree |
Ildiko Santana
2 days 17 hrs
|
|
Many thanks:-)
|
|
| agree |
crossroad
6 days
|
|
Many thanks:-)
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
+3
44 mins
Vide infra
You seem to be parsing it oddly, which may not be helping your understanding. Try considering it like this:
"[so] that those foul passions ... may not again be [let] loose, to [cause] our undoing."
'to our undoing' is a rather archaic turn of phrase, with the meaning: 'so as to cause our undoing'
'Loosed' is a very old fashioned way of saying 'unleashed'.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 jours23 heures (2016-03-21 15:10:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
'undoing' = e.g. 'downfall' etc.
"[so] that those foul passions ... may not again be [let] loose, to [cause] our undoing."
'to our undoing' is a rather archaic turn of phrase, with the meaning: 'so as to cause our undoing'
'Loosed' is a very old fashioned way of saying 'unleashed'.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 jours23 heures (2016-03-21 15:10:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
'undoing' = e.g. 'downfall' etc.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
claude-andrew
2 hrs
|
|
Thanks, Claude-Andrew!
|
|
| agree |
Tina Vonhof (X)
21 hrs
|
|
Thanks, Tina!
|
|
| agree |
Ildiko Santana
3 days 11 hrs
|
|
Thanks, Ildiko!
|
Discussion