Wednesday, February 24, 2010

What does "beck" mean?


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: beck and call

Why: At her bitchiest (she is always so mean to him because she thinks she's better than him - which she's not, BTW), Rachel tells Ross she wants him at her "constant beck and call."

Answer: According to Merriam-Webster:
A 'beck' is a silent signal, such as a nod of the head or a motion with the forefinger. The sense is apparent in the Earl of Worcester's Iulius Cesars Commentaryes (1470): 'It should be ready at a beck.' In summoning a servant one might have to resort to a 'call' as well as a 'beck' if the servant did not see the beck or failed to respond to it."
Source: Phrases.org.uk

The More You Know: Other Becks: