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beshrew

[bih-shroo]

Origin

verb (used with object) Archaic.

to curse; invoke evil upon.

Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English beshrewen. See be-, shrew¹

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Beshrew is one of our favorite verbs.

So is hornswoggle. Does it mean:

to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable.

to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

beshrew (bɪˈʃruː)

—vb
	archaic (tr) to wish evil on; curse (used in mild oaths such as beshrew me)

[C14: see be-, shrew]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

beshrew

early 14c., "deprave, pervert, corrupt," from be- + shrew (v.) "to curse;" see shrew. Meaning "to invoke evil upon" is from late 14c.

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Matching Quote

"Feste. Beshrew me, the knight's in admirable fooling.
Sir Andrew Aguecheek. Ay, he does well enough if he be disposed, and so do I, too. He does it with a better grace, but I do it more natural."

-Shakespeare

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beshrew

be·shrew