popinjay
英 ['p?p?nd?e?]
美
- n. 鸚鵡；花花公子；綠啄木鳥；多嘴而愛裝腔作勢(shì)的人
英文詞源
- popinjay
- popinjay: see parrot
- popinjay (n.)
- late 13c., "a parrot," from Old French papegai (12c.), from Spanish papagayo, from Arabic babagha', Persian babgha "parrot," possibly formed in an African or other non-Indo-European language and imitative of its cry. Ending probably assimilated in Western European languages to "jay" words (Old French jai, etc.).
Used of people in a complimentary sense (in allusion to beauty and rarity) from early 14c.; meaning "vain, talkative person" is first recorded 1520s. Obsolete figurative sense of "a target to shoot at" is explained by Cotgrave's 2nd sense definition: "also a woodden parrot (set up on the top of a steeple, high tree, or pole) whereat there is, in many parts of France, a generall shooting once euerie yeare; and an exemption, for all that yeare, from La Taille, obtained by him that strikes downe" all or part of the bird.
雙語例句
- 1. You never called me an arrogant, reckless popinjay.
- 你從沒叫過我傲慢無知的花花公子.
來自電影對(duì)白
- 2. The preening popinjay has now departed the scene and good riddance, say I.
- 那只得益洋洋的鸚鵡,現(xiàn)在終于滾蛋了,拔了咱的眼中釘,肉中刺, 這就是我說的.
來自互聯(lián)網(wǎng)