“Fee-fi-fo-fum,
I smell the blood of an Englishman,
Be he alive or be he dead
I'll have his bones to grind my bread.”

said by the ogre or giant. Now rendered as I'll grind his bones to make my bread.
English Fairy Tales (1890), Preface to English Fairy Tales, Jack and the Beanstalk

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman, Be he alive or be he dead I'll have his bones to grind my bread." by Joseph Jacobs?
Joseph Jacobs photo
Joseph Jacobs 17
British historian 1854–1916

Related quotes

“Fee, fi, fo, fum
I smell the blood of some earthly one.”

said by a giant, see Jack and the Beanstalk above.
English Fairy Tales (1890), Preface to English Fairy Tales, Molly Whuppie

Anne Sexton photo

“Fee-fi-fo-fum -
Now I'm borrowed.
Now I'm numb.”

Anne Sexton (1928–1974) poet from the United States
Brian W. Aldiss photo

“Poor little warrior, science will never invent anything to assist the titanic death you want in the contra-terrene caverns of your fee-fi-fo-fumblingly fearful id!”

Brian W. Aldiss (1925–2017) British science fiction author

“Poor Little Warrior!” p. 80
Short fiction, Who Can Replace a Man? (1965)

Willa Cather photo

“From the time the Englishman's bones harden into bones at all, he makes his skeleton a flagstaff, and he early plants his feet like one who is to walk the world and the decks of all the seas.”

Willa Cather (1873–1947) American writer and novelist

16 September 1902
Source: Willa Cather in Europe (1956), Ch. 14

Cassandra Clare photo
Cassandra Clare photo

“I didn't know Elvis was alive until he was dead.”

Elaine Dundy (1921–2008) American journalist, actress

As quoted in "Interview: Elaine Dundy, celebrated author of the seminal book, Elvis & Gladys: Genesis of The King, talks to EIN" (2004) http://www.elvisinfonet.com/dundy1.html
Context: I didn't know Elvis was alive until he was dead. But how many stories are like mine? Until his death August 16, 1977, it was possible to get through a day without hearing his name. Of course I remember all the early outrage he caused but believe me it was easy not to see any of his films. It doesn't mean that music has not always dominated my heart and mind. During the years barren of Elvis I did have my record player on constantly but it was playing folk, blues, and jazz. It was playing Al Jolson, Maurice Chevalier, Billie Holiday, Ethel Merman, and Noel Coward. The human voice raised in song has always been important to me so I include Miles Davis whose trumpet is such an important human voice. Then after his death in London in taxis, on radio and TV I heard nothing but Elvis records and that grabbed my attention.

Diana Gabaldon photo
Wallace Stevens photo
Samuel R. Delany photo

Related topics