betide

Woe betide the philistine who requests a salt shaker or asks that a meticulously prepared dish be spice-bombed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

A certain life was expected for you, and woe betide you if you went outside of that.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2024

And woe betide any member of the cabinet who upset his mistress.

From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2023

Woe betide the grounds passholder who shows up at the “wrong” entrance; you may be made to walk several blocks, though several on Monday attempted to argue with U.N. police.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 19, 2022

Woe betide the plant whose genetic program is mismatched to the latitude of the field in which it is planted!

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

But I have to wonder if, whatever betides, I can stay upbeat in spirit.

From The New Yorker ● Dec. 16, 2019

It fails to mention Ogden Nash's "One rule which woe betides the banker who fails to heed it,/ Which is you must never lend any money to anybody unless they don't need it."

From Time Magazine Archive

Marry! whatever betides I shall have seen London!”

From In Doublet and Hose A Story for Girls by Clyde Osmer De Land

He’ll be true to your cheel whatever betides, or I’m a fule.”

From Children of the Mist by Eden Phillpotts

Not content with making his tombstone a weapon of destruction to us, he pays the Abbey itself an occasional visit, and his appearance always betides some disaster to the family.

From The Lancashire Witches A Romance of Pendle Forest by William Harrison Ainsworth

These were anchored a hundred yards from shore, and Brian saw the danger that betided as the stream of fugitives swept down toward the boats.

From Nuala O'Malley by H. Bedford-Jones

They were not apprized of any inconvenience or danger that betided her.

From Ormond, Volume III (of 3) or, The Secret Witness by Charles Brockden Brown

They bade Rose remain in the garden for the next few hours, and they would hide in a clump of bushes at the corner and watch what betided.

From Tom Tufton's Travels by Evelyn Everett-Green

Mother, that you are mov'd, this makes me wonder; When I departed, I did leave ye friends: What undigested jar hath since betided?

From A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 7 by Various

Betide, p.t. betided; p.p. betid; to happen, come to pass, e.g.

From The Story of Sigurd the Volsung by Winifred Turner

O I know the Hand that is guiding me Through the shadow to the light; And I know that all betiding me Is meted out aright.

From Poems with Power to Strengthen the Soul by James Mudge

And hence their quiet looks confiding,        Hence grateful instincts seated deep,      By whose strong bond, were ill betiding,        They'd risk their own his life to keep.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 06, No. 38, December, 1860 by Various

I will come anon and learn what is betiding.

From The Sign of the Red Cross by Evelyn Everett-Green

Doth she lead her hither To the wind and sun?—Ah, fain would I know What strange betiding hath blanched that brow   And made that young life wither.

From Hippolytus/The Bacchae by Euripides

There was an Ark with scrolls of the Law in the room, betiding a piety and a purse beyond the normal.

From Ghetto Comedies by Israel Zangwill