The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #105437   Message #2926686
Posted By: McGrath of Harlow
13-Jun-10 - 07:49 AM
Thread Name: BS: Those handy UK expressions...
Subject: RE: BS: Those handy UK expressions...
I'm certain "I'll swing for you" is a reference to being done for murder.

Maybe as the idea of capital punishment recedes into history (apart from places like the USA, China and Iran), the original understanding of this will vanish, and merge with the unrelated meaning embodied in eg "I felt like taking a swing at him", where it is of course abouut punching.