Not P but Moby-Dick (29)

[Mark Kohut]

I think heart here is a synecdoche for person.

On Sun, Oct 22, 2023 at 4:23 AM Mike Jing <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com>
wrote:

> From Chapter 48:
>
> “Pull, pull, my fine hearts-alive; pull, my children; pull, my little
> ones,” drawlingly and soothingly sighed Stubb to his crew, some of whom
> still showed signs of uneasiness. “Why don’t you break your backbones, my
> boys? What is it you stare at? Those chaps in yonder boat? Tut! They are
> only five more hands come to help us—never mind from where—the more the
> merrier. Pull, then, do pull; never mind the brimstone—devils are good
> fellows enough. So, so; there you are now; that’s the stroke for a thousand
> pounds; that’s the stroke to sweep the stakes! Hurrah for the gold cup of
> sperm oil, my heroes! Three cheers, men—all hearts alive! Easy, easy; don’t
> be in a hurry—don’t be in a hurry.
>
> According to the OED, "heart alive" is an exclamation. What is the meaning
> of "my fine hearts-alive" and "all hearts alive" here?
> --
> Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
>