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an' I wouldn't for a kingdom

English translation: i would not shoot him even if i would get a kingdom for it

16:30 Nov 5, 2009

English to English translations [PRO]
Poetry & Literature / dialect/old English in fairy tales

English term or phrase: an' I wouldn't for a kingdom

In "Jack the Cunning Thief" by Joseph Jacobs, there is a final dialogue between the squire and his wife.

"That's Jack," said the squire, pointing a gun at the lower pane, "I'll astonish him a bit."
"Oh Lord, my dear!", said the wife, "sure, you wouldn't shoot the brave fellow?"
"Indeed, ***an' I wouldn't for a kingdom***, there's no bullet in it."

Could you please explain the meaning of the last sentence?
Thanks a lot
f

_floriana_ KudoZ activity Questions: 213 (1 open) (1 without valid answers) (15 closed without grading) Answers: 94 Italy
Local time: 16:58

English translation:i would not shoot him even if i would get a kingdom for it

Explanation:
i would not be able to shoot this man even if i got a kingdom for it... because there are no bullets in the gun.

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Note added at 7 mins (2009-11-05 16:38:00 GMT)
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example:
He would not sell his horse; not for a kingdom!
http://books.google.com/books?id=pLwDwtL1m0wC&pg=PA284&lpg=P...

Selected response from:

Maria Fokin
Italy
Local time: 16:58

Grading comment

4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +16

i would not shoot him even if i would get a kingdom for it

Maria Fokin

Even a Kingdom can't replace it.

kolya

Answers

5 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +16

an' i wouldn't for a kingdom

i would not shoot him even if i would get a kingdom for it

Maria Fokin
Italy
Local time: 16:58
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English,

Russian
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

jccantrell: Yep.

5 mins

-> thanks

agree

Goldcoaster

12 mins

-> thanks

agree

Jack Doughty: Richard III would have given his kingdom for a horse, according to Shakespeare.

15 mins

-> good one! i forgot about that. thanks jack

agree

Stephanie Ezrol

15 mins

-> thanks

agree

Carol Gullidge: to quote: "My kingdom for a horse!"

37 mins

-> thanks :-)

agree

Jim Tucker: I would be loth to ventilate him for all the Assam in the Punjab

45 mins

-> thanks

agree

JaneTranslates

57 mins

-> thanks

agree

Patricia Townshend

1 hr

-> thanks

agree

Liam Hamilton

1 hr

-> thanks

agree

Christina Heger

4 hrs

-> thanks

agree

Polangmar

5 hrs

-> thanks

agree

Yasutomo Kanazawa

9 hrs

-> thank you

agree

Ramesh Bhatt

11 hrs

-> thank you

agree

kolya: Kolya..Oh my God that is 13 ...oh good now it is 14

13 hrs

-> thank you

agree

Jutta Scherer

15 hrs

-> thank you

agree

Gary D

18 hrs

-> thank you

13 hrs confidence:

an' i wouldn't for a kingdom Even a Kingdom can't replace it.

Explanation:
Even a kingdom is not comparable to it. by the way the gun is not loaded.
A gesture move by someone playing around with a gun, as in aiming it in all directions

I would not have done ( I would not have shot it ) it even if the gun was loaded, and the price was an offered kingdom.

kolya
United States
Native speaker of:

Danish,

Farsi (Persian)