| 释义 |
▪ I. go-ahead, a. colloq. (orig. U.S.)|ˈgəʊəˌhɛd|
[f. the phr. go ahead: see go v. and ahead 5.]
Forward and energetic in undertaking; ‘pushing’, enterprising.
1840Gen. P. Thompson Exerc. v. (1842) 147 The active, the wide-awake, or as the Americans would call it the ‘go ahead’ portion of the Established Sect. 1846H. Beckely Hist. Vermont 132 They were men..of a bold, go-ahead character. 1858Philadelphia Press 24 July (Bartlett), America is a dashing, go-ahead, and highly progressive country. 1859J. S. Mill Dissert. & Discuss., Democr. Amer. II. 64 Do we find in Canada that go-ahead spirit—that restless, impatient eagerness for improvement in circumstances? 1864C. Kingsley Let. in Life (1879) II. 167 What a go-a-head place France is! 1886All Year Round 14 Aug. 34 Hence our go-ahead farmers are taking to machines.
b. Occas. used for: Proceeding straight forward without pause, forthright.
1879Dana Man. Geol. (ed. 3) 116 An animal, as its ordinary movements manifest, is preëminently a go-ahead thing. 1884G. Allen Philistia III. 196 Straight off without a break, in her go-ahead, breathless, voluble fashion.
Hence go-aˈheadative, -itive a., go-aˈheadativeness (U.S.); go-aˈheadedness; go-aˈheadishness; go-aˈheadism; go-aˈheadity; ˈgo-aheadness, etc.
1846C. Kingsley in Life (1877) I. 143 It is the new commercial aristocracy, it is the scientific go-a-head-ism of the day, which must save us. 1847G. W. Kendall Texan Santa Fé Exped. 153 The indefatigable go-a-headity which characterizes the Anglo-Saxon race. 1855N.Y. Times 17 May (Bartlett), The natural activity and go-aheadativeness of our American business men. 1864Reader 17 Sept. 343 In North American..you see in railway-literature..an almost exact counterpart of our English system, carried out..with somewhat more go-aheadness. 1869H. Deedes Ten Months Amer. 60 The go-aheaditiveness of the inhabitants [of Chicago] is only equalled by the go-aheaditiveness of the buildings. 1881Daily News 28 Dec. 3/1 The go-aheadedness of the United States. 1882M. E. Braddon Mt. Royal I. v. 136 The young ladies of the present day have a certain Yankee go-a-headishness which very much lightens the chaperon's responsibility. 1890Murray's Mag. Apr. 459 Passing from Kimberley with its money-making..and smart shops, and ‘go-aheadness’.
▪ II. go-ahead, n.|ˈgəʊəhɛd|
[f. go v. 72 and go-ahead a.]
1. The action or the spirit of going forward; progress; ambition, energy, or initiative. U.S. colloq.
1840C. F. Hoffman Greyslaer i. iii. 32 Sarting! he does make a clean go-ahead of it. But when did he come up here to mix in our doings? 1844G. W. Kendall Narr. Santa Fé Exped. II. xix. 362 There is a little ‘go-ahead’ in a spirited, showy, well-trained Mexican horse. a1861T. Winthrop Canoe & Saddle (1883) xii. 251 It racks my heart to know that I must still demand much go-ahead from you. 1885W. D. Howells Rise Silas Lapham xi, Some of the fellows that had the most go-ahead were fellows that hadn't ever had much more to do than girls before the war broke out. 1942Berrey & Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Slang §240/3 Initiative; enterprise; ‘push’,..go-ahead.
†2. An advance agent of a touring theatrical company, circus, etc. Obs.
1861All Year Round 16 Nov. 184/2 ‘The agent in advance’, or go-ahead, as he is now called,..accompanied by a bill-sticker, starts off in advance of the troupe.
3. A signal, order, or permission to proceed. Also attrib. colloq.
1941B.B.C. Gloss. Broadcasting Terms 13 Go-ahead signal, spoken instruction from a control room to the personnel at a programme source, indicating that all is ready for a programme to begin. 1942Berrey & Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Slang §226/2 The go-ahead, the command or permission to do. 1948Sierra Club Bull. (San Francisco) May 2/2 It must receive Congressional approval..for its go-ahead on construction. 1953Encounter Oct. 14/1 The party had given the go-ahead signal after months of discreet silence. 1958Times 6 June 12/3 Given the go-ahead, the system is likely to be in operation within two years. 1967Listener 30 Mar. 429/1 B.E.A., which now has the backing of four major airlines for its project, is very confident that it will get the go-ahead. |