| 释义 |
toughie, n. (and a.) colloq. (orig. U.S.).|ˈtʌfɪ|
Also toughy.
[f. tough a. + -ie, -y6.]
1. A tough person.
a. = tough guy s.v. tough a. 10 a.
b. A person of aggressive or uncompromising views.
1929Princeton Alumni Weekly 24 May 981/2 The toughie is the man of the hour when the policeman's whistle blows. It is always nice to be close to him when the riot calls are turned in. 1938New Republic 21 Sept. 188/1 Getting the toughies off the street. 1940R. Chandler Farewell, my Lovely xxvii. 168 A toughie..came in and showed me a blackjack. 1959She May 65/2 Luxury-lovers had better stick to planes or boats. A trip in the ‘Bombay Bus’ is definitely one for the toughies. 1960Sunday Express 24 July 16/5 Mr. Butlin is a toughie too... A man who has learned to cater for the mood of the people and take full advantage of their longer purses... I think he will continue to prosper despite credit squeezes, Chancellors, the rain, and other vexations. 1971J. Mandelkau Buttons x. 121 A group of bikers riding out for kicks every Friday and Saturday night, getting drunk and swinging back and forth over the white line behind the toughie they would call ‘our leader’. 1980I. Murdoch Nuns & Soldiers i. 84 Daisy had women friends..‘Women's Libbers’, and left wing toughies. 1984Observer 8 Apr. 12/4 Mondale may think that he makes a good political toughie.
2. A difficult problem, enterprise, or contest.
1945Good Housekeeping June 230/2 How about the $80 question?..Think now. This is a toughie. 1947Sun (Baltimore) 18 Jan. 1/7 West has another toughie for Congress... Would it be O.K. if the District used tax money to buy uniforms for the policemen's band? 1972J. L. Dillard Black English vii. 281 Children who speak Standard English may react to words like island,..with ‘That's a toughie!’ 1972D. Lees Zodiac 6 It sounded, as Harry put it, ‘a doddle’, but even if it had looked a toughy the Riviera would have sold it.
3. attrib. or as adj.
1962John o' London's 9 Feb. 138/4 The nice, ‘toughie’ Irishman. 1974Times Lit. Suppl. 14 June 644/3 Admirers of Stephen Becher's urbane When the War is Over will be surprised at the toughie metaphysics of the opening of his new novel. 1977Film & Television Technician Jan. 9/3 Bob was one of those ‘toughie’ production managers, greatly concerned not only with the budget, but with the film and the people working on it. |