• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Jared Dees

Author. Speaker. Teacher.

  • About
    • Now
    • Projects
    • Jared’s Newsletter
    • Contact
  • Books
    • New! Goals to Gold
    • New! The Gospel According to Video Games
    • New! Just Plant Seeds
    • Beatitales
    • Take and Eat
    • Prepare the Way
    • Take Up Your Cross
    • 15-Minute Stations of the Cross for Kids
    • View All Books
  • Events
  • Articles
  • Stories for Kids
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter

Which is Correct: One foul or fowl swoop? (Neither: It's one fell swoop.)

By Jared Dees

The other day I tried to use a cliche phrase “one foul swoop.”

Once I wrote it, I wondered about the original meaning. Was there a foul, like a mistake swooping in?

Or maybe the phrase refers to a fowl bird that swoops down all at once.

It turns out that neither is correct. Instead the phrase should be “one fell swoop.”

One fell swoop means all at once. It appears in Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth.

While we don’t often use the word “fell” in this way anymore, it meant “fierce,” “villain,” “terrible,” etc. It is the source of the word “felon” or “felony.”

Therefore, “one fell swoop” means more than just all at once. It has the connotation of fierceness.

April 24, 2020 Filed Under: Which is correct?

About Jared Dees

Jared Dees is passionate about sharing practical resources to teach faith. He is best known for his website The Religion Teacher and is the author of many books including 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator, Christ in the Classroom, and Beatitales: 80 Fables about the Beatitudes for Children.

Previous Post: « The Unexpected Answer: A Psalm 4 Story
Next Post: Crossing the Red Sea: A Bible Story for Kids »

Primary Sidebar

Jared Dees

Author, Speaker, Teacher

Join the 10,000+ subscribers to Jared's weekly email newsletter with stories for kids:

Jared’s New & Popular Books

  • 🌳 Beatitales
  • 🍞🍷 Take and Eat
  • 👨‍🏫 Christ in the Classroom
  • 🌱 Just Plant Seeds 
  • 🎮 The Gospel According to Video Games
  • 📚 View All >

Jared’s Popular Website for Religious Educators

Search the Site:

Footer

Connect with Jared Dees

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Jared Dees is passionate about sharing practical resources to teach faith. He is best known for his website The Religion Teacher and is the author of many books including 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator, Christ in the Classroom, and Beatitales: 80 Fables about the Beatitudes for Children. See all of Jared's Books →

Stories for Children

Copyright © 2025 · Jared Dees