How does one parse 'woe betide'?

Question

How would one parse the sentence

Woe betide anyone wearing the wrong colour! ?

Betide is clearly the main verb, meaning happen;  as in they waited wondering what might betide.
But clearly betide is not conjugated like other verbs, otherwise it would be woe betides. But in this usage of woe betide..., it doesn't even seem to me to be acting like an indicative verb. It is most frequently delivered as an imperative warning, a bit like look out.
Should the full form be Woe will betide anyone....?

SandyE · Answer

As far as I can tell, the conjugation (as per my ancient school days) of the sentence "Woe betide you" is as follows: "Woe" is the noun, "betide" is the verb, and "you" is the object of the verb.

Peter Shor · Answer

In the phrase, "woe betide", the verb "betide" is in the subjunctive mood. This is one of the left-over uses of the present subjunctive in fixed phrases. It means "may woe betide", like "long live the king" means "may the king live long".

According to the OED, betide meant happen or happen to. It was a regular verb conjugated like other verbs. However, nowadays the only place we see it used is in the expression woe betide.

How does one parse 'woe betide'?

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