“This is the place,” Jack said two days later, as they inspected a narrow little house near the British Museum. “The bedchamber and office can both be on the ground floor, so you won’t have to climb more stairs than absolutely necessary.” “I can manage stairs perfectly fine,” Oliver lied. The week he had spent hauling himself up and down the stairs of whorehouses and gambling halls had been an unpleasant reminder of how bad his knee could get. Oliver knew that the time might come when even a single flight of stairs would prove impossible, even on a good day. And he was glad that Jack seemed to
“This is the place,” Jack said two days later, as they inspected a narrow little house near the British Museum. “The bedchamber and office can both be on the ground floor, so you won’t have to climb more stairs than absolutely necessary.” “I can manage stairs perfectly fine,” Oliver lied. The week he had spent hauling himself up and down the stairs of whorehouses and gambling halls had been an unpleasant reminder of how bad his knee could get. Oliver knew that the time might come when even a single flight of stairs would prove impossible, even on a good day. And he was glad that Jack seemed to understand that too. “Yes, you’re sickeningly hale and hearty.” Jack was opening and closing the windows, likely assessing the ease with which they could be broken into or jumped out of. “And only getting more so by the minute. I think you’ve put on half a stone in the last few weeks.” This was a gross exaggeration, but Oliver tolerated it, knowing Jack took some perverse pleasure in making sure Oliver remembered to eat. “And it’s all muscle.” That much was true, Oliver fancied. “At this rate you’ll be a regular Viking by Christmas.” Oliver barked out a laugh. “How exceedingly vulgar. I’ll be nothing as brutish as a Viking, my dear. I’ll be like the angel Gabriel in one of those pictures chaps are always painting on ceilings. All golden hair and glistening muscle.” “Well, unless you also plan on sprouting a pair of wings, I don’t know how you’ll get upstairs, so we’ll put the bedcham...
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“Hale and hearty" is a redundant English phrase meaning in robust good health and vigorous. It's used to describe someone who is healthy, strong, and full of life, especially older people. The word "hale" itself comes from Old English and means "whole" or healthy, while "hearty" means vigorous and robust.
Meaning and Usage
Robust Health: To be "hale and hearty" means to be in excellent physical condition.
Vigorous: It implies someone is energetic and full of life.
Especially for the Elderly: The phrase is often used to describe older people who remain strong and active.
Example
"She lived to be 95 and was still hale and hearty until her last days," meaning she remained strong and healthy well into old age…
