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To glory!

I've come across the bizarre (is it?) question that's asking me to write the complete form of this exclaiming 'sentence'. I came along the sentence below as the nonellipsed expansion:

[Let's go] to glory!

However, it gets a bit hilarious if you want to apply the same to "to hell with the guns!":

[Let's go] to hell with the guns!

It's rather

[Go] to hell with the guns!

Are these exceptions? Is there a general rule we can apply to the phrases than begin with the structure "to + noun"? Is there ellipsis here, since I don't seem to see it?

I've been taught that to write a complete expansion for the ellipsed form, you should choose what's the nearest and yet the shortest. Is this true?

M.A.R.
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    Exceptions to what? I don't understand the question.. We can say "Let's change our infamy to glory!" or "Drink to glory!". – CowperKettle Feb 13 '15 at 21:03
  • I was taught that to write a complete expansion for the ellipsed form, you should choose what's the nearest and yet the shortest. So, is there a rule for writing the expanded form of these ellipsis cases? – M.A.R. Feb 13 '15 at 21:05
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    "To glory" is a title for a song by the group "Two steps from hell" (I'm not advertising :). Could it have meant "drink to glory"?! :) – M.A.R. Feb 13 '15 at 21:06
  • The title of a group's song could mean nearly everything, if history is any guide. (0: One might try to derive the meaning from the lyrics and other contextual cues. You'd better add the mention of the band to the question to make it more clear. – CowperKettle Feb 13 '15 at 21:10
  • @CopperKettle I'm editing my question for you to say "No, you can write the full form of an ellipsed vague phrase nearly everything!" :) – M.A.R. Feb 13 '15 at 21:11
  • It all depends on context. "To glory!" might be an elided version of the toast "Here's to glory!" if everyone is holding a glass. I don't think I would ever have come up with "Let's go" for that one. – Jim Feb 13 '15 at 21:18
  • @Jim unfortunately I can't add anything to my post as "context". But the question refers to the epic trailer song of "Two steps from hell". So apparently it's something like "Let's go to glory". – M.A.R. Feb 13 '15 at 21:20
  • I don't see a problem with To hell with the guns! as an ellipsis for Let's go to hell with the guns! The context should make clear what is meant. If not you simply have ambiguity, which cannot always be avoided. –  Feb 14 '15 at 02:35
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    Of course, introducing a comma might decrease the ambiguity: To hell, with the guns! –  Feb 14 '15 at 02:57
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    Is there a rule? Are you kidding? This is English. Rules are the exceptions. When you can find one, that's worth writing home about. There is just a lot of previous usage, which you can use as precedent for variations and extensions. – Ben Kovitz Feb 14 '15 at 03:12
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    There's no ellipsis here. These are minor sentences. –  Feb 17 '15 at 15:33

3 Answers3

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"to hell with X" is not truly ellipsis as you understand it; it is a set phrase, meaning, basically, "for all I care, X can go to hell"

Thus "the hell with you"

This is not abstruse; it is similar to other classic constructions

"away with you!" "off with you"

which both mean "Go away".

(I know this doesn't explain why. I'll do more digging and try to improve this answer)

Brian Hitchcock
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I believe that the sentence can be expanded to "A toast: Here's to glory!" The most likely setting for this would be a gathering of junior military officers. The sentiment is that glory is a great and wonderful thing, and everyone present hopes to find it.

So, no, I don't think you can compare it to the phrase "to Hell". Except, perhaps, at a Satanist convention.

Edited to add: In light of the suggested answer, I'd suggest another scenario. A king is addressing his mounted knights and getting them motivated for battle. He shouts, "Men will remember this day as long as men fight for the right! Follow me, and we ride to glory!". And the enthusiastic crowd responds, "To glory!". It's a bit Hollywood, but that may be what's intended.

Again, I have a bit of trouble coming up with a similar use of "to Hell".

WhatRoughBeast
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I interpret

To Hell with guns

To mean

Send (all the) guns to Hell

djna
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