Word.ws English Dictionary

fetch and carry

Syllables: fetch and car·ry/ˌfɛt͡ʃ n̩ ˈkæɹi/US/ˌfɛt͡ʃ n̩ ˈkæɹi/

fetch and carry verb: to serve obsequiously.

Verb

fetch and carry (third-person singular simple present fetches and carries, present participle fetching and carrying, simple past and past participle fetched and carried)

  1. (idiomatic, intransitive) To serve obsequiously.
    • It was curious to ſee what heavy burthens your true court-bred ladies and gentlemen can bear in the ſervice of their prince, aye and bear ſmilingly. […] [L]ike that enduring animal [the ass] they appeared to be ſo familiar with ſlavery, that they took patiently what nothing but a beaſt of burthen...1795, [Samuel Jackson] Pratt, “Letter XXXVII. To the Same [the Honourable Mrs. B.].”, in Gleanings through Wales, Holland and Westphalia. With Views of Peace and War at Home and Abroad. […], volume...
    • A nephew of hers, after receiving some learning at her ladyship's expence, got a commission, and fell upon the field of Waterloo; another is still at her heels, as a sort of jackall to fetch and carry when required.1819 July 1, “The Political Vis——ss”, in [John Mitford], editor, The New Bon Ton Magazine; or, Telescope of the Times, volume III, number 15, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], →OCLC, page 179
  2. (dated, idiomatic, intransitive) To carry gossip, news, etc., from one person to another; to bear tales, to gossip.
    • And as Miſs is ſo fond of fetching and carrying, you may tell her we are to have a private play among ourſelves, as the quality have: the Diſtruſtful Mother, 'tis call'd— […]1770, Samuel Foote, The Lame Lover, a Comedy in Three Acts. […], London: […] Paul Vaillant; and sold by P[eter] Elmsly […]; and Robinson and Roberts, […], →OCLC, Act II, page 50
    • This young woman had an own cousin lived servant with her father, he was counsel keeper on both sides, and often fetched and carried.1796–1797 (date written), Richard Burdsall, Memoirs of the Life of Richard Burdsall; Shewing the Mercy of God in Christ Jesus, to a Sinner; and of His Testimony to the Truth He Hath Received. […]...
  3. (dated, idiomatic, transitive) To carry or convey (gossip, news, etc.) from one person to another; to bear (tales).
    • If we are of a froward peeviſh and untractable Temper, we ſhall be apt when we have nothing elſe to do, to be venting our Activity in factious and turbulent Zeal, in ſeditious Pratings and Conſpiracies, in backbiting our Adverſaries, and fetching and carrying ſcandalous Reports to create Jealouſies...1681, John Scott, “Concerning the Militant or Warfaring Part of the Christian Life, […]”, in The Christian Life, from Its Beginning, to Its Consummation in Glory; […], London: […] M. Clark, for...
    • Of all this Servile Herd the worſt is He / That in proud Dulneſs joins with Quality, / A conſtant Critick at the Great-man's Board, / To fetch and carry Nonſenſe for my Lord.1711 May, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Criticism, London: […] W[illiam] Lewis […]; and sold by W[illiam] Taylor […], T[homas] Osborn[e] […], and J[ohn] Graves […], →OCLC, page 25

Examples of fetch and carry in a sentence

  • Too clumsy, in fact—but what am I good for but to fetch and carry for you?1878 September 7, [Annie] Keary, “A Doubting Heart”, in Littel’s Living Age, volume XXIII (5th Series; volume CXXXVIII overall), number...
  • I ne'r vvith VVits and VVitlings paſt my days, / To ſpread about the Itch of Verſe and Praiſe, / Nor like a Puppy daggled thro' the Tovvn, / To fetch and carry Sing-ſong up and dovvn; […]1735 January 13 (Gregorian calendar; indicated as 1734), [Alexander] Pope, An Epistle from Mr. Pope, to Dr. Arbuthnot, London: […] J[ohn]...
  • [Y]ou come here to watch that girl, and spy upon her, and fetch and carry stories about her, to get her dismissed from the choir; I dare say that's why you come here.1869 January, “My Enemy’s Daughter”, in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, volume XXXVIII, number CCXXIV, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers...

Synonyms of fetch and carry

5 more synonymsFewer synonyms

All synonyms of fetch and carry

Forms of fetch and carry

third-person singular presentfetches and carries
present participlefetching and carrying
past participlefetched and carried
pastfetched and carried

Origin of fetch and carry

From fetch + and + carry, originally a reference to a trained dog fetching and conveying an object back to its master: see, for example, William Shakespeare’s play The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act III, scene i (spelling modernized): “She hath more qualities than a water-spaniel, […] She can fetch and carry: why a horse can do no more; nay, a horse cannot fetch, but only carry, therefore is she better than a jade.”

Words formed from fetch and carry

Words that rhyme with fetch and carry

5 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about fetch and carry

What does fetch and carry mean?
Fetch and carry means to serve obsequiously.
How do you use fetch and carry in a sentence?
Too clumsy, in fact—but what am I good for but to fetch and carry for you?
What part of speech is fetch and carry?
Fetch and carry is a verb.
How do you pronounce fetch and carry?
Fetch and carry is pronounced /ˌfɛt͡ʃ n̩ ˈkæɹi/ (UK).
What is the past tense of fetch and carry?
The past tense of fetch and carry is fetched and carried.

Words near fetch and carry in the dictionary

  1. fetation
  2. fetations
  3. fetch
  4. fetch a compass
  5. fetch about
  6. fetch and carry
  7. fetch away
  8. fetch candle
  9. fetch candles
  10. fetch in
  11. fetch off

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: fetch and carry (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-fetch and carry.wav.

Cite this entry: “fetch and carry.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/fetch_and_carry. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.