释义 |
trilby|ˈtrɪlbɪ| Also Trilby. Pl. trilbies or trilbys. [The title of a novel by George du Maurier published in 1894, and the name of its heroine.] 1. colloq. a. A jocular name for the foot (with reference to Trilby's feet, which were objects of admiration). ? Obs.
1895People 7 July, An American paper has spent its energy of psychological investigation on the foot (I beg pardon, the trilby). 1907H. E. Dudeney Canterbury Puzzles 114 ‘Two feet—’ he murmured. ‘Somebody's Trilbys?’ I inquired. 1932U. Sinclair Candid Reminiscences i. v. 29 There was a book by the name of ‘Trilby’, which the ladies blushed to hear spoken of... I knew it had something to do with feet, because thereafter my father always called them ‘trilbies’. †b. A particular type of shoe. (Formerly a proprietary name in the U.S.) Obs.
1895Official Gaz. (U.S. Patent Office) 16 Apr. 447/1 Boots, shoes and lasts. S. Weil & Co., New York... ‘Trilby’. Essential feature—the word ‘Trilby’. Used since October 1, 1894. 1895Montgomery Ward Catal. Spring & Summer 509/3 The Trilby... The very latest in ladies' footwear. 1897Sears, Roebuck Catal. 192/1 Our New Trilby... The accompanying cut is an exact reproduction of our new Trilby Shoe. 2. In full trilby hat: a soft felt hat, esp. one of the Homburg type with a narrow brim and indented crown; any hat of a similar shape.
[1895Bradford Daily Argus 12 Nov. 1/8, I have been puzzling my head to account for the reason of so many soft hats being worn at present, and at last I have hit it. It is another phase of the ‘Trilby’ complaint. In one of the illustrations of the book Little Billee is ‘discovered’ wearing a hat of this description, so it has been seized upon by those worshippers at the shrine of Trilby, whom nature will not assist in the cultivation of a Svenjali [sic] beard or Taffy whiskers. ]1897Daily News 6 Feb. 6/5 In the struggle Mr. Bennett lost his hat, a black ‘Trilby’... Mr. Carr..was also wearing a black ‘Trilby’ hat. 1915E. Wallace Man who bought London iii. 33 He turned sharply to the young man in the trilby hat. 1927W. Deeping Kitty v. 63 The window-sill being a low one Mrs Sarah had a good view of Vernor Street, and the passing of the khaki caps, bowlers, ‘Trilbys’ and cloth caps. 1958Observer 9 Feb. 11/5 Three men in trilbies and a woman with straggly hair. 1978Lancashire Life Apr. 67/1 Fred was a dapper dresser, and I like to remember him in Summer, wearing a medium-grey lightweight suit, black patent shoes, a beautifully-arranged lilac-coloured pure silk cravat with a massive diamond stick-pin, and a natural straw Trilby. 1979‘J. le Carré’ Smiley's People (1980) xxi. 258 Toby..handed him a trilby hat. Hence ˈtrilbied, ˈtrilby-hatted adjs., wearing a trilby hat.
1966Punch 12 Jan. 45/2 ‘Tell him about Indonesia, Dave,’ cried a small, trilbied man. 1975M. Simpson Chrome Connection ii. 25 The trilby-hatted husband..gave her a curious look. |