Search from various English teachers...
bright_ld
Why there is "with you" in the sentence "Now off to bed with you".
In Mad Men, Betty said to the child: "Now off to bed with you".
Why there is "with you" in this sentence, some extra meaning? Could you please explain in grammar?
Jul 22, 2012 1:04 PM
Answers · 2
1
To expand on Maxey's excellent comments, "off with you" is an archaic, old way to say "scat", an imperative command to "go on!" or "get out of here!" So the speaker is saying "get out of here and go to bed!"
July 22, 2012
Short for "it's off to bed with you."
It's just one of those phrases that got into the language for which there is no logical reason. It makes sense if you phrase it as:
"The situation WITH YOU is now OFF TO BED" = What is going to happen now is that you are going to bed.
It's used by parents for emphasis when they want to tell a child to go to bed, but don't want to make it a harsh command.
July 22, 2012
Still haven’t found your answers?
Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!
bright_ld
Language Skills
Chinese (Cantonese), English
Learning Language
English
Articles You May Also Like

Same Word, Different Meaning: American, British, and South African English
12 likes · 11 Comments

How to Sound Confident in English (Even When You’re Nervous)
13 likes · 11 Comments

Marketing Vocabulary and Phrases for Business English Learners
10 likes · 6 Comments
More articles