| 释义 |
Grub-street|ˈgrʌbstriːt|
1. orig. The name of a street near Moorfields in London (now Milton-street), ‘much inhabited by writers of small histories, dictionaries, and temporary poems’ (J.); hence used allusively for the tribe of mean and needy authors, or literary hacks.
1630J. Taylor (Water P.) Wks. ii. 2/1 When strait I might descry, The Quintescence of Grubstreet, well distild Through Cripplegate in a contagious Map. 1689Shadwell Bury F. v. 56 The very Spirit of Grubstreet Reigns in you. 1712Arbuthnot John Bull Pref., O Grubstreet! thou fruitful Nursery of tow'ring Genius's! 1809Byron Bards & Rev. 547 Long, long beneath that hospitable roof Shall Grub-street dine, while duns are kept aloof. 1870Emerson Soc. & Solit., Books Wks. (Bohn) III. 80 Now and then, by rarest luck, in some foolish Grub Street is the gem we want.
2. attrib. or as adj. Pertaining to, emanating from, or characteristic of Grub-street; of the nature of literary hack-work; rarely, like a needy scribbler.
1648Mercurius Fidelicus (Thomasson Tracts B.M.) CCCLXXXIV. No. 32. 6 The Grub-street pamphleteer. 1672Marvell Reh. Transp. i. 26 Grubstreet and Polemical Divinity. a1700B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Grub street News, false, Forg'd. 1710Swift Tatler No. 230 ⁋2 Till of late Years, a Grubstreet Book was always bound in Sheep⁓skin. 1760Voy. W. O. G. Vaughan I. 129 Grub-street Quill-drivers. 1785Grose Dict. Vulg. Tongue s.v., A Grub-street writer means a hackney author, who manufactures books for the booksellers. 1856Lowell Lett. (1894) I. 276 At present I am perfectly Grubstreet, but then I have the pleasure of earning every penny I spend. a1860Macaulay Hist. Eng. xxiii. (1889) II. 644 Nor was it only in Grub Street tracts that such reflections were to be found.
Hence Grubstreetian n., Grubstreetonian a. (nonce-wds.).
c1721Misc. Lett. Mist's Jrnl. (1722) II. 303 Ha, ha, ha, all the Judges sit upon the Grub-Streetians! Ibid. 321 Any able Grubstreetian. 1805Spirit Publ. Jrnls. (1806) IX. 245 A Ballad in the Style Grubstreetonian. |