Date: Tue, 6 Feb 1996 18:02:19 -0500

From: Stewart Mason masons[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ZIAVMS.ENMU.EDU

Subject: Re: "going medieval"



I overheard a student say that another student was "going medieval." Since I

teach an HEL course, I interrupted to find out what it meant and was told that

it meant 'going psycho, berserk'. This is a new one for me. Any other

instances? Any explanation for the connection to medieval?



This was used in the movie "Pulp Fiction."



To be more precise, the character in question (criminal boss Marcellus

Wallace) is swearing vengeance on the hillbilly Zed who...well, it's a long

story. Anyway, Marcellus is promising to torture said hillbilly with

boiling oil and other devices of that age, saying "I'm gonna get medieval on

yo' ass." So the connection to medieval is explained in the movie, but

since then, I've only heard it used in the sense that you heard, and only by

people (like myself) who have seen the movie at least two or three times. I

know of no usage of it either prior to the movie or by people who haven't

seen the movie, so it's probably an invention of writer/director Quentin

Tarantino.



Stewart



_____________________________________________

Stewart Allensworth Mason

masons[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ziavms.enmu.edu

Technical Editor, Access Innovations, Inc.

Albuquerque, New Mexico

http://www.homeless.com/homepages/masons[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ziavms.enmu.edu.html



***SONGS IT'S IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO DANCE TO***



1. "Mardi Gras In New Orleans"--Fats Domino

2. "No One Knows My Plan"--They Might Be Giants

3. "When Lightning Starts"--The Three O'Clock

4. "International Colouring Contest"--Stereolab

5. "Radio Song"--R.E.M.