--- In DSNA@yahoogroups.com, "Rebecca Shapiro" <shapiro.becca@...>
wrote:
>
Rebecca: Hi. It happens that I was working on a quote in Shakespeare
this morning that he (Shakey) had the prescience to write in 1603 for
you: FIRST LORD: "He hath out-villained villainy so far that the
rarity redeems him." (All's Well That Ends Well 4.3.278-79).
I've heard "villain" used in the context you mentioned, but you
were right about it not being current -- it seems a bit old. The bad
guys could also be said to "wear the black hats" or be "the scum" or
be "the bottom-feeders" or "low-lifers."
If the movie was from '71, and especially if it was English-
written or English-played, it might use more formal English -- the
type of English that "villain" would be well-suited for.
Scott N.

> Hello. I just joined the list . . .
>
> I have a quick question. I saw the movie Bank Job, which takes
place in 1971
> in London. Some characters described others as "villains" (bad guys,
> illegal, dangerous, etc.). I was surprised to hear it used that way-
-I'd
> thought it was obsolete in that context. Is anyone familiar with
that
> particular usage?
>
> Thank you,
>
> Rebecca Shapiro
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>