Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2007 February 14

= February 14 =

Origin of a phrase
I am interested in finding the origins of the phrase "Love you to pieces" or "love you to bits." If you don't know, could you suggest some unusual places to look, as I've looked at all the usual ones.

Thank you, Daniel/Sunnie


 * Sorry if this is just repeating what you already found in an admittedly usual source, but here are the Oxford English Dictionary's relevant citations (in the sense "to a great degree" and not necessarily literally "to ruin" etc.):
 * 1788 ‘P. PINDAR’ Prooemium in Wks. 366 'Tis most extraordinary then, all this is&mdash;It beats Pinetti's conjuring all to pieces. // 1840 C. F. HOFFMAN Greyslaer I. I. x. 114, I know the ground here all to pieces. // 1892 W. G. LYTTLE Ballycuddy 79 She wud a pleesed ye a' tae pieces, an' wud a been charmed tae a haen a minister fur a son-in-law. // 1925 Dial. Notes 5 325, I knows un all to pieces. // 1958 L. URIS Exodus III. iii. 351 Ari! I love you to pieces! // 1989 B. A. MASON Love Life 123, I just love him to pieces.
 * Wareh 12:59, 14 February 2007 (UTC)

Turkmen speaking people - Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow
It would be helpful if a turkmen speaking user could see if there is any further data to be extracted from *tk:Gurbanguly Mälikgulyýewiç Berdimuhammedow 83.100.158.13 13:43, 14 February 2007 (UTC)

Polish translation of 'Happy Valentine's Day'
Hello venerable Wikipedians. Could any Polonophones give me an accurate translation for 'Happy Valentine's Day', or any equivilent greeting for someone on this day.

(Or out of my curiosity, any more translations of this phrase in other languages.) 194.80.32.8 15:43, 14 February 2007 (UTC)
 * "Szczęśliwych walentynek", "Wszystkiego najlepszego z okazji walentynek" etc. Mieciu K 02:15, 15 February 2007 (UTC)