| 释义 |
little people
1. Fairies, gremlins. Cf. little man 4.
1726–31Waldron Descr. Isle of Man (1865) 27 As they confidently assert that the first inhabitants of their Island were fairies, so do they maintain that these little people have still their residence among them. 1897E. Phillpotts Lying Prophets x. 101 The li'l people takes all manner o' shaapes. 1941[see gremlin 1]. 1973Times 17 Mar. 14/8 The two larger clovers..were said to afford protection against ‘unkind Little People’. 1973Stornoway Gazette 19 May 6/2 As a writer, and collector of unusual information, I would be interested to hear from people who have seen the ‘little people’ or any strange, apparently non-human beings, under any circumstances whatever.
2. Children.
1752M. W. Montagu Let. 22 July (1967) III. 15 How often do I fancy to my selfe the pleasure I should take in seeing you in the midst of your little people! 1876C. M. Yonge Three Brides I. xvii. 282 My little people are so anxious to have me with them. 1934H. G. Wells Exper. Autobiogr. II. viii. 602 The Bastable family she created is still a joy to little people between ten and seventeen. 1972A. Roudybush Sybaritic Death (1974) ii. 7 Tiled Beatrix Potter bunnies still scampered around the frieze..and windows, barred to prevent accidents to little people. 1975Sunday Times 30 Mar. 8/1 (Advt.), Big savings for little people from Boots.
3. The poor; ordinary or undistinguished people.
1827Lytton Pelham ii, There was in it..no cringing to great, and no patronising condescension to little people. 1901C. Morris Life on Stage xxiv. 195, I hear many tales of the insolence of stars—of their..injustice to ‘little people’ as the term goes. 1951M. McLuhan Mech. Bride (1967) 66/1 Her allies are the little people, who..have to contend with the frustrations brought about by bureaucratic bungling. |