| 释义 |
Little League, n. and a. orig. and chiefly U.S.
Brit. |ˈlɪtl ˌliːg|, U.S. |ˈlɪdə(l) ˈˌlig|
[‹ little adj. + league n.2, after major league n.]
A. n. Baseball. A baseball league for children aged from eight to twelve, which uses the standard rules but a smaller field; (also in recent use) any children's league. Also (in extended use): a junior branch or division.
A proprietary name in the United States.
1939Williamsport (Pa.) Sun 7 June 17/2 Lundy staged two big innings to defeat Dairy in the ‘Little League’ opener last evening. 1949Sat. Evening Post 14 May 27/1 Since the war, Little Leagues have been multiplying like amoebae. 1960P. Goodman Growing up Absurd v. 117 The Little League, the baseball teams of subteenagers sponsored and underwritten by various business firms. 1982R. Angell Late Innings xvi. 409 Young ballplayers who start in the Little Leagues at the age of eight may graduate to the Babe Ruth League at the age of thirteen. 1997Courier-Jrnl. (Louisville, Kentucky) 22 Aug. c4/5 The game was halted after five innings because of Little League's ‘mercy rule’, which ends a game when a team leads by ten or more runs.
B. adj.
1. attrib. Baseball. Of, relating to, or characteristic of a Little League (see sense B.). Also (in extended use): childlike.
1939 A. 1949 Sat. Evening Post 14 May 27/2 The original Little League field in Williamsport..is a miniature big-league ball park. 1974S. Terkel Working iv. 172 He is active in the Little League activities of the trailer community. 1990Sports Illustr. 18 June 35/3 After starting the biggest day of his life binging on cartoons, Payne ended the afternoon in an equally Little League way. 1994N.Y. Times 12 Aug. c24/1 The outfielder who looks like Willie Mays on one play can turn right around and make a Little League mistake the next.
2. fig. Freq. in form little league. Relatively minor or insignificant.
1994News Jrnl. (Wilmington, Delaware) 25 Aug. c3 (headline) Saudis oust Taiwan from Little League international bracket. 1995Ital. Food & Wine Spring 8/1 Romans will eat anything... Trippa alla Romana (cow or ox stomach) is little league stuff. 1997J. Leonard Smoke & Mirrors 5 Their per capita rate for murder and rape is little league compared to ours. |