趣解“Toady”(马屁精)
发现没?toady(马屁精)在构词上蛮有意思。如果去掉词缀-y,toad(y)就变成了“癞蛤蟆”,难道“溜须拍马者”与“癞蛤蟆”之间有什么联系? 早在17世纪,英国人普遍认为癞蛤蟆剧毒无比,谁要吃了癞蛤蟆,那简直是找死!当然,有了这种想法,自然就不会有吃癞蛤蟆的人。正是利用大众的这种恐惧心理,聪明的江湖郎中拿癞蛤蟆大大忽悠了一把。 他们让听话的“托儿”当众吞吃癞蛤蟆,在托儿们“中毒”后“痛苦万状”的表情下,江湖郎中的“灵丹妙药”派上了用场,及时抢回了托儿的命。想一想,恐惧癞蛤蟆的观众看了这生死表演,能不买那些天价神药吗? 随着时间的推移,癞蛤蟆的剧毒神话早已不攻自破,那些吃癞蛤蟆、迎合郎中行骗公众的托儿自然不会有什么好名声。据载,1629年,toadeater开始被大众接受,用来形容“奉承拍马的寄生虫”。Toady由toadeater衍生而来,可用做名词(马屁精)和动词(溜须拍马)。 看一个例句:He disdains to toady to his boss.(他不屑拍老板马屁。)
下一篇: Mermaid(美人鱼)的来历
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