What exactly does the phrase 'Woe is me' mean? A google search returns many results ranging from FML to just having a bad day. There are many references to the phrase being grammatically incorrect and thus meaning nothing, but it seems like it is in use. So, is the phrase acceptable in common English despite being grammatically incorrect? Or is it, infact, grammatically correct?
Edit: What I was able to find using Google:
- Phrases.org.uk: "I am distressed; sad; grieved."
- onlinecollege: "Woe is me: It sounds a bit like Yoda-ese, but instead of saying FML, go biblical with "woe is me."
- UrbanDictionary: "Both answers that tried to explain are incorrect in explaining the grammaticality of the phrase. The verb "to be" is an intransitive verb, meaning it cannot take an object." (Refer to the link for complete text)
Best Answer
These are all morose phrases, They can be strung together, or prefaced by Ah, or Alas, but apart from that whatever the grammar, they are unalterable. Don't try Woe is he! or Lack-a-year.
The tone is archaic, often self-deprecating, and mock-heroic.