| 释义 |
gravy|ˈgreɪvɪ|
Forms: 4–5 gravé, 5 gravey, greve, grovy, (7 gravet), greavie, -y, 8 graivie, 7–8 gravie, 5– gravy.
[Of obscure origin.
The receipts quoted under sense 1 below are substantially identical with receipts in OF. cookery books, in which the word is grané. For the OF. word the reading grané seems certain (though in printed texts gravé usually appears); it is prob. cogn. with OF. grain ‘anything used in cooking’ (Godef.), and with grenade2, grenadine; cf. also faus grenon = ‘gravy bastard’. But in the Eng. MSS. the word has nearly always either a v or a letter which looks more like u than n (the only exception being in the ‘table’ to Liber Cocorum, which has thrice grane, while the text has graue). As the ME. word was therefore identical in form with the mod. word, it seems difficult, in spite of the difference in sense, to regard them as unconnected. In the present state of the evidence, the most probable conclusion is that the OF. grané was early misread as gravé, and in that form became current as a term of English cookery.]
†1. Some kind of dressing used for white meats, fish, and vegetables, which seems to have consisted of broth, milk of almonds, spices, and (usually) wine or ale. gravy bastard: app. an inferior imitation of this. Obs.
c1390Form of Cury (1780) 22 Connynges in Grauey. Take Connynges..and drawe hem with a gode broth with almandes blanched and brayed, do þerinne suger and powdor gynger. Ibid. 59 Oysters in Gravey. Schyl Oysters and seeþ hem in wyne and in hare own broth, cole the broth thrugh a cloth, take almandes blaunched, grynde hem and drawe hem up with the self broth & alye it wiþ floer of Rys and do the oysters þerinne, cast in powder of gynger, suger, macys. c1420Liber Cocorum (1862) 25 For tenchis in gravé. Sethe þy tenchis..Grynd peper and safron with ale..With tenchis brothe, þou temper hit. 14..Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 586/4 Garus, greue. [Cf. Ibid. 740/38 Hic garus, a fyscbrowe.] 14..MS. Arundel in Househ. Ord. (1790) 446 Eles in Grave. Take almondes and grinde hem [etc.]. c1430Two Cookery-bks. 13 Oystres en grauey. Ibid., Oystrys in grauy bastard{ddd}take þe water of þe Oystrys, & ale, an brede y-straynid..an put it on a potte, an Gyngre, Sugre, Saffron, powder pepir, and Salt. Ibid. 33 Whyte Pesyn in grauey. c1450Ibid. 101 A litul gravey of þe pike. c1470Noble Bk. Cookry (Napier 1882) 117 To mak tenche in grave, tak..your tenche and sethe hym and alay it with myed bred pepper and saffron and temper it with the tenches brothe, then lay the tenche in a platter and poure on the grave. c1475Pict. Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 789/35 Hec promulada [? = *promulsida, promulsis] grovy. 1508–13Bk. Keruynge (W. de W.) B 4 Sprottes is good in sewe..oystres in ceuy, oysters in grauy, menewes in porpas.
2. a. The fat and juices which exude from flesh during and after the process of cooking; a dressing for meat or vegetables made from these with the addition of condiments.
1591A. W. Bk. Cookrye 4 Boile it [a Swan] vntill it be somwhat thick, and put in two spoon full of the grauye of the Swan. 1600Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, i. ii. 184 Iust. There is not a white haire in your face but should haue his effect of grauity. Falst. His effect of grauy, grauie, grauie. 1601Holland Pliny II. 312 The grauie or dripping..of the Hyænes liuer, newly taken out of the body. 1615Chapman Odyss. xviii. 62 There are now at fire Two brests of Goat: both which, let Law set downe Before the man..With all their fat and greauie. 1638Rawley tr. Bacon's Life & Death (1650) 47 Gravies of Meat..Are good for old Persons. 1661Lovell Hist. Anim. & Min. Introd., The gravet of rosted meat. 1709Addison Tatler No. 148 ⁋1 A whole roasted Ox, (which was certainly the best Way to preserve the Gravy). 1769Mrs. Raffald Eng. Housekpr. (1778) 69 When you dish it [a tongue] up, pour a little brown gravy. 1846Mrs. Gore Eng. Charac. (1852) 109 The pure and transparent gravies of France. 1868M. Jewry Model Cookery 270 Serve it up hot with a rich gravy poured round it.
b. transf. Also in phr. goose without gravy (see goose n. 1 d); to stew in one's own gravy, to be bathed in sweat.
1699E. Ward Lond. Spy ix. 14 He reliev'd us out of our Purgatory [a bath], and carried us to our Dressing Room, which gave us such Refreshment after we had been thus long stewing in our own Gravy, that [etc.]. a1845Hood Widow iii, As if..to soothe his grave with sorrow's gravy [i.e. tears].
c. Theatrical slang. (See quot. 1952.)
1864P. Paterson Glimpses Real Life x. 107 The farce..was gone through with equal rapidity—of course, all the ‘points’ were carefully given, ‘cartfuls of beefsteaks and bucketsful of gravy’ especially. 1952W. Granville Dict. Theatr. Terms 92 Gravy, easy laughs from a friendly audience. (2) Good lines, or business, in a farce or comedy.
d. Money easily acquired; an unearned or unexpected bonus; a tip. Hence to ride (board) the gravy train (or boat), to obtain easy financial success. slang (orig. U.S.).
1910Sat. Even. Post 30 July 13/1 Stick him for all you can. You're a hard worker, and you mustn't let some⁓body else git the gravy. 1927Amer. Speech II. 276 Gravy train, sinecure. 1932Wodehouse Hot Water i. 30 ‘Sixty thousand dollars' worth, at least.’ Mr. Slattery was impressed. Sixty grand, he agreed, was pretty good gravy. 1933Amer. Speech Feb. 32/1 Ride a gravy train, to continue to receive more than one's deserts. 1934J. O'Hara Appointment in Samarra (1935) 11 If you sell two Cadillacs a month, you make expenses, and anything over that is so much gravy. 1939E. S. Gardner D.A. draws Circle (1940) xv. 269 We started riding the gravy train like I said. 1942D. Powell Time to be Born (1943) viii. 180 An apartment which he was able to furnish almost completely with ‘gravy’—sofas, mattresses, gadgets pressed on him by earnest manufacturers in hopes of public mention of their products. 1948Menjou & Musselman It Took Nine Tailors 141 Once you get on the Hollywood gravy boat, it is no trick to make money; the trick is to keep it. 1952M. McCarthy Groves of Academe (1953) x. 197 There was a moment in the spring when the whole Jocelyn sideshow seemed to be boarding the gravy train, on to fatter triumphs of platitude and mediocrity. 1960Guardian 17 Oct. 16/3 In 1960, says the cool Bob Kennedy, if his brother gets 55 [electoral votes]..‘anything else will be gravy’. 1967Sun 20 Apr. 5/8 The tip is called the gravy, and when there is a mix-up at the table and two diners leave separate tips, it becomes double gravy. 1968Globe & Mail (Toronto) 17 Feb. 8/1 In the past 10 years, the Manitoba Government has reaped about $8-million from the Downs (more than $1-million last year). This revenue is almost pure gravy.
3. attrib. and Comb., as gravy-boat, gravy-salt, gravy sauce, gravy soup, gravy spoon; instrumental, as gravy-dripping adj.; gravy beef, a part of the leg of beef which is cooked for the sake of its gravy; gravy-eyed a. (see quot.).
1747H. Glasse Cookery ii. 39 Lay a Pound of *Gravy Beef..over your Chickens.
1895Montgomery Ward Catal. Index, *Gravy Ladles and Boats. 1916Daily Colonist (Victoria, B.C.) 7 July 7/1 (Advt.), Covered Gravy Boats with Plate. 1970Simon & Howe Dict. Gastron. 206 Gravy boat, the name commonly given to a low, boatshaped container used to dispense gravies, sauces etc.
1886W. J. Tucker E. Europe 175 Digging his dirty, *gravy-dripping knife into the salt-cellar.
1785Grose Dict. Vulg. Tongue, *Gravey eyed, blear eyed, one whose eyes have a running humour.
1907Yesterday's Shopping (1969) 33/1 *Gravy Salt..pkt., o/1. 1958J. Cannan And be a Villain iii. 68, I went down to the shop for your gravy salt.
1769Mrs. Raffald Engl. Housekpr. (1778) 24 To make the *gravy sauce, put a little brown gravy into a sauce-pan, with one anchovy.
1694Motteux Rabelais v. xvii. (1737) 74 *Gravy Soupe. 1765Goldsm. Ess. xxv. 227 He drank gravy-soup when he could get it. 1813Sporting Mag. XLII. 135 A basin of gravy-soup..was placed before him.
1844Dickens Mart. Chuz. i, A *gravy spoon. |