| 释义 |
tomˈfoolery
[f. prec. after foolery.]
1. a. The action or behaviour of a tom-fool; foolish or absurd action; silly trifling.
1812H. & J. Smith Rej. Addr., Punch's Apotheosis, Round let us bound, for this is Punch's holyday; Glory to Tomfoolery, huzza! huzza! 1899A. Dobson Paladin of Philanth. iii. 65 That solemn tomfoolery, the Stratford Jubilee of 1769.
b. With a and pl. An instance of this; an action, practice, or thing of a foolish or absurd kind.
1840T. A. Trollope Summ. in Brittany I. 58 One of those solemn tom-fooleries which so much delighted the middle ages. 1862C. M. Yonge C'tess Kate xii, Come, don't make a tomfoolery of it. 1885Huxley in L. Huxley Life (1900) II. vi. 91 How grown men can lend themselves to such elaborate tomfooleries.
2. Rhyming slang. Jewellery. Cf. tom n.3
1931C. Rimington Bon Voyage Bk. xv. 88 Tomfoolery, jewelry. 1943M. Harrison Reported Safe Arrival 52, I wouldn' be surprised if you both done a stretch fer knockin' orf some ole bloke's tom-foolery. 1975Sunday Times 30 Mar. 49/2 He will have contacts in ‘tomfoolery’, or jewellery outlets.
So ˈtom-ˈfoolish a., of, pertaining to, or of the nature of a tom-fool; hence ˈtom-ˈfoolishness.
1799Southey Nondescripts viii, A man he is by nature merry, Somewhat Tom-foolish, and comical, very. 1889J. K. Jerome Three Men in Boat v, Of all the irritating silly tomfoolishness by which we are plagued, this ‘weather⁓forecast’ fraud is about the most aggravating. |