When the Samsa family learns of Gregor's death from the housekeeper, they first confirm it by watching as she moves Gregor's corpse with her foot. Mr. Samsa thanks God, and all three make the sign of the cross. They retreat into the parents' bedroom and cry "a little." When they emerge from the bedroom, Mr. Samsa evicts the three boarders, and the family watches on the landing as the men shuffle away. They decide that they need some time off, and all three write letters of excuse for themselves from work and school. The cleaning lady begins to tell them how she has disposed of Gregor's body, but Mr. Samsa cuts her off. He informs his wife and daughter that he will fire the housekeeper that evening. They take a streetcar into the country and talk about their future. They decide to move to a smaller, nicer flat, and Grete, the daughter, becomes lively. The parents recognize her beauty and promise, and the story ends.
Does anybody know the etymology of the phrase "sweet dreams"? I tried googling but did not find anything satisfying. Is this a relatively new phrase of the modern world or has this been in use for some time? I think it's the latter one. Answer The OED has the interjection as "a farewell to someone going to bed" from the 20th century: 1908 Sears Roebuck Catal. 198/1 Tenor Solos..Good Bye, Sweet Dreams, Good Bye. But it goes back until at least the 19th and possibly 18th centuries. John Wolcot, writing under the pseudonym of Peter Pindar, used it in his poem "Orson and Ellen; A Legendary Tale" published in 1801: Also from 1801 in The infernal Quixote (Page 287) by Charles Lucas: In the March 1776 of The Universal Magazine was published "The Serenade. A Pastoral Tale. From the German of Gesner" , where the shepherd Daphnis watches over his beloved as she sleeps and sings: The same tale appears in 1776's as Idyl XI, " Daphnis ...
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