起源于1896年的英语短语列表
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jerk off(v.)
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loose cannon(n.)
“loose cannon”在1896年时被用于比喻意义上的“狂野不负责任的人,摆脱了通常约束的强大人物或事物”,在字面意义上则是指旧战舰上的一种可怕的物体; 比喻用法可能源于维克多·雨果(Victor Hugo)的一部广受欢迎的小说中的一个著名场景:
You can reason with a bull dog, astonish a bull, fascinate a boa, frighten a tiger, soften a lion; no resource with such a monster as a loose cannon. You cannot kill it, it is dead; and at the same time it lives. It lives with a sinister life which comes from the infinite. It is moved by the ship, which is moved by the sea, which is moved by the wind. This exterminator is a plaything. [Victor Hugo, "Ninety Three," 1874]
你可以用理智来对付斗牛犬,惊讶公牛,迷住蟒蛇,吓唬老虎,驯服狮子; 但对于像松脱的大炮这样的怪物,没有任何办法。你不能杀死它,因为它已经死了; 但同时它又活着。它有着来自无限的邪恶生命。它被船移动,船被海洋移动,海洋被风移动。这个毁灭者是一个玩物。[维克多·雨果,《九十三》,1874年]