To have (take) a STITCH¹ against someone

Insights

Grudge as Physical Pain

The proverb equates the emotional burden of a grudge with a sudden, sharp physical pain ('a stitch'). This metaphor powerfully conveys resentment not as a passive feeling but as an active, nagging source of internal discomfort and suffering.

A Fixed Point of Animosity

A 'stitch' can also be seen as a single, sharp point of irritation that fixes one's negative attention on a person. It symbolizes a specific grievance that becomes the focal point of animosity, preventing any possibility of reconciliation or positive feeling.

Sudden Onset of Dislike

The phrase suggests that a grudge can be 'taken' or acquired suddenly, like an ailment. This implies that a deep-seated dislike can originate from a single, sharp incident or offense that embeds itself in one's memory and attitude toward another.

Embodied Emotion

The proverb's use of 'stitch' to mean a grudge reflects an early modern understanding of the deep connection between emotional and physical states. In an era before modern psychology, internal turmoil like resentment was often described through the tangible language of bodily pain, suggesting that holding a grudge was not just a mental act but a visceral, painful experience that afflicted the body.

Biblical Resonance

The earliest provided quotation from H. Smith (a.1591) references the biblical story of King Solomon's grudge against Shimei, who had cursed his father, David. This allusion grounds the proverb in a well-known narrative of long-held animosity and eventual retribution, lending it a sense of moral and historical gravity.

Psychology of Resentment

The proverb captures the psychological truth that holding a grudge is an internally painful act. The metaphor of a 'stitch'—a sharp, nagging pain—perfectly illustrates how resentment becomes a source of persistent discomfort for the person who harbors it, turning an external conflict into an internal affliction.

Rhetorical Devices

Somatic Metaphor

The central device is the metaphor comparing an abstract emotion (a grudge) to a concrete physical sensation (a stitch), making the internal experience of resentment tangible and universally understandable.

Idiom

The phrase is a concise, idiomatic expression whose meaning is not immediately obvious from its component words. This figurative quality makes it a memorable and evocative way to describe the act of holding a grudge.

Sound Symbolism

The hard 't' and 'ch' sounds in 'stitch' create a sharp, abrupt auditory effect (cacophony) that mirrors the sudden, piercing nature of the pain or grudge it describes, enhancing its impact.