Gone for good (and all)

Posted by James Briggs on September 01, 2001

In Reply to: Gone for good (and all) posted by R. Berg on August 30, 2001

: : 'Gone forever' has a fairly obvious meaning - disappeared for all time. How come 'gone for good' means the same thing? Thanks.

: Within the five pages that the OED devotes to "good" is a treatment of the phrase "for good (and all)." Definition: "As a valid conclusion; hence, as a final act, finally."
: Quotations include these:
: 15.. (Parl. Byrdes) Than desyred all the Byrdes great and smal to mewe the hauke for good and all.
: 1687 (Congreve) Ay, you may take him for good-and-all if you will.
: 1711 (Swift) 4 July, This day I left Chelsea for good, (that's a genteel phrase).
: 1850 (J. H. Newman) Throw off, for good and all, the illusions of your intellect.
: 1882 (W. E. Forster) This morning we released Parnell--not for good, but on parole.

Thanks! Much appreciated.