Vocabluary 'abet'

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Dearest English teacher,
Are my sentences below acceptable? Thanks in advance for your guidance.

My egotistic niece always strikes people and I cannot understand why my father and my sister in law abet her.

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Type: Question • Score: 6 • Views: 720 • Replies: 15

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View best answer, chosen by Loh Jane

@Loh Jane,

Yes. I've no idea whether the statement is true, but it is a normal and acceptable sentence.

For some reason that I don't understand, abet is often used with aid, as "My egotistic niece always strikes people and I cannot understand why my father and my sister in law aid and abet her. Perhaps we are just trying to sound better educated than we really are. The way you wrote it sounds better to me.

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I suspect that "aid and abet" arises from the Anglo-Saxon habit of reiteration. Another example of this is the phrase "it is fitting and proper."

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@roger,

Hi roger,
Thank you.I know where the 'Enter' key is in IPhone finally.

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@Loh Jane,

I think abet is too strong, it would suggest that the father and sister in law help her, maybe by holding down the victim. I would use allow instead because it is more passive, they don't try and stop her as opposed to helping her.

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@izzythepush,

I think you are giving a definition for aid. Abet really does mean to encourage and approve.

I like your convention of using italic there. Much cleaner looking than my use of ' '.

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@Setanta,

Setanta wrote:

I suspect that "aid and abet" arises from the Anglo-Saxon habit of reiteration. Another example of this is the phrase "it is fitting and proper."

In English legal stuff you often get them in threes: aid, abet and assist

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@roger,

Maybe, but encouraging and approving is not the same as letting something happen.

I find it hard to imagine a situation where the parents are shouting, 'Go on, twat him one,' to their daughter.

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@izzythepush,

izzythepush wrote:

I find it hard to imagine a situation where the parents are shouting, 'Go on, twat him one,' to their daughter.

You wouldn't say that if you'd been to my house.

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@contrex,

I suppose the British use of twat is different from the American usage.

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@roger,

roger wrote:

I suppose the British use of twat is different from the American usage.

1. Noun (v. impolite) the female pudenda (see 'twot', 'twotty' etc)
2. Noun (impolite) a fool
3. Verb (some regions) strike or hit (a blow)

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@contrex,

fascinating

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@roger,

roger wrote:

fascinating

You find the female pudenda fascinating?

1 Reply

I know i do.

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@roger,

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@contrex,

Yes indeedy

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Vocabluary 'abet'

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