in fine fettle

English

WOTD – 30 June 2023

Etymology

From in + fine (“of superior quality”) + fettle (“state of physical condition”). Fettle is derived from Late Middle English fetlen (“(verb) to bestow; to fix, prepare, put in place; to prepare (oneself) for battle, gird up; to shape; to be about to, or to ready (oneself), to stay; (adjective) shaped (well or poorly)”) [and other forms], possibly from Old English fetel (“belt, girdle, fettle”), from Proto-Germanic *fatilaz; further etymology unknown.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪn ˌfaɪn ˈfɛtl̩/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɪn ˌfaɪn ˈfɛt(ə)l/, [-ɾ(ə)l]
• Rhymes: -ɛtəl
• Hyphenation: in fine fet‧tle

Prepositional phrase

in fine fettle

1. In good condition; energetic, fit.

   Synonym: fit as a fiddle

   • 1979, Douglas Hofstadter, “Crab Canon”, in Gödel, Escher, Bach‎^[1], →ISBN, page 199:

     Tortoise: [Y]ou're looking in very fine fettle these days, I must say.
     Achilles: Thank you very much.

Usage notes

Also used with other words in place of fine, such as in good fettle and in high fettle.

Translations

in good condition — see also fit

• French: frais comme l’œil (fr) (literally “fresh as the eye”)
• Macedonian: во до́бра со́стојба (vo dóbra sóstojba)
• Spanish: en plenas condiciones

Further reading

• Michael Quinion (March 4, 2000) “Fine fettle”, in World Wide Words.