| 释义 |
▪ I. zing, n. colloq. (orig. U.S.).|zɪŋ|
[Echoic.]
1. A sharp, high-pitched ringing sound; a twang.
1911D. Runyon Tents of Trouble 22, I felt him fall and I sensed the ‘zing’ of a boob-face Arab's knife. 1922C. Sandburg Slabs of Sunburnt West 63 Then the axmen came and the chips flew to the zing of steel and handle. 1930E. Ferber Cimarron xx. 331 He seized the typewriter by its steel bar and plumped it to the floor with a force that wrung a protesting whine and zing from its startled insides. 1961E. Williams George xxv. 403 There was the confident zing of tennis-rackets in the Parks. 1970Washington Post 30 Sept. b–1/1 The butterfly chair, that zing-zong-zang of tubular metal.
2. Energy, vigour, liveliness; zest; a quality that induces alertness or vitality.
1918Independent 14 Dec. 369/1 They were the picked athletes of the whole English Army and were doing their calisthenics with a precision and spirit I have never seen equaled anywhere. The ‘pep’, ‘zing’ and ‘vim’ were thrilling. 1931[see belt v. 4 b (b)]. 1941G. Kersh They die with their Boots Clean ii. 83 I'll soon get that paleness off your faces and put some zing into those limbs. 1955‘S. Ransome’ Deadly Bedfellows i. 7 Lake Haven's air..was full of zing and bounce. 1964Punch 27 May 796/3 The show had zing. 1979Brit. Jrnl. Photogr. 21 Sept. 917/1 In the old days a photographer used to go to work with a holdall and could be on the other side of the world. That doesn't happen very often nowadays in Fleet Street. It's lost its zing. 1983Daily Tel. 21 Dec. 9/2 Freshly-squeezed lemon or lime has a unique impact, adding a zing to almost any combination in flavours. 1985Spectator 28 Sept. 9 While death has not lost its sting, sex has undoubtedly lost its zing.
▪ II. zing, int. Chiefly U.S.|zɪŋ|
[Echoic. Cf. zingo int.]
Representing the sudden advent of a new situation or emotion.
1919Wodehouse Damsel in Distress vi. 75 The generous blood of the Belphers boiled over, and then—zing. They jerked him off to Vine Street. 1948Sun (Baltimore) 3 Dec. 14/2 A method of freezing concentrated orange juice was developed, and zing! the first thing they knew they had a new and depression-beating industry on their hands. 1955W. Gaddis Recognitions i. iv. 161 String a good piece of piano wire across the road..and take a couple of shots at them. They go after you..and zing zing zing there go their heads just like that. 1977M. French Women's Room (1978) iv. 248 So one day you meet this guy, right? And, zing! He is gorgeous!
▪ III. zing, v. colloq. (orig. U.S.).|zɪŋ|
[f. the n. or int.]
1. intr.
a. To make a sharp, high-pitched ringing or whining sound; to travel rapidly producing such a sound.
1920S. Lewis Main Street ii. 18 Go zinging along on a fast ice-boat. 1949N. Marsh Swing, Brother, Swing v. 88 Lord Pastern banged, and rattled, and zinged... ‘Oh,’ she thought, ‘how vulnerable he is among his tympani!’ 1960I. Cross Backward Sex i. 12 It would be better if this old chap did not..hear the bullet zing past. 1962S. Plath Johnny Panic & Bible of Dreams (1977) iii. 247 The bees, now Charlie had lifted the top off the hive, were zinging out and dancing round. 1963T. Pynchon V. xi. 345 Had his coincidence, the accident to shatter the surface of this stagnant pool and send all the mosquitoes of hope zinging away to the exterior night; had it happened? 1977G. Durrell Golden Bats & Pink Pigeons ii. 38 A group of zosterops,..zinging and twittering to each other.
b. fig. To move energetically and with ease; to abound with energy.
1961John o' London's 29 June 724/2 She zings along the tight-rope which passes for plot. 1969N. Freeling Tsing-Boum xx. 145 They had been busy enough already in Holland! In Marseilles they had been zinging with ambitious energy. 1973Playboy May 44 As pure escapist entertainment..the movie zings right along. 1973Daily Tel. 7 Nov. 15/2 When..she denounces him to her husband for the imaginary seduction..of a 16-year-old girl pupil, matters zing into focus.
2. trans. With up. To enliven, invigorate. U.S.
1970New Yorker 14 Nov. 154 Charles Revson is the philosopher-king of the cosmetic world... He claims to know by instinct how to ‘zing up’ a face. 1978Chicago June 234/3 Delicious, spicy pickled-pepper relish..which you can use to zing up the otherwise mild dishes.
3. To abuse; to criticize. U.S.
1974Evening Herald (Rock Hill, S. Carolina) 18 Apr. 7/4 In the eighth, Mitterwald doubled and..the rest of the Cubs zinged him for not hitting a fourth homer. 1975New Yorker 21 Apr. 61/3 Brodie told me..of another investigator who, in his haste, ‘zinged a dead man’ and delivered an investigative report concerning his insurability.
4. To deliver (a witticism, question, etc.) with speed and force. U.S.
1975W. Safire Before Fall iii. vi. 179 [Nixon] read what they wrote and surprised them later by remembering it and occasionally zinging it back at them. Ibid. vii. i. 474, I zinged out a couple of one-liners. 1977Time 10 Jan. 26/2 Her usual practice of zinging brash, hostile questions at world leaders.
Hence ˈzinging ppl. a.
1954G. Durrell Three Singles to Adventure vi. 144 A group of sandflies discovered us with zinging cries of joy. 1963Times 16 Jan. 6/5 Mr. Richard Daley, the last of the big city political bosses, has promised him a rough ride in a ‘swinging, zinging, campaign, the roughest, toughest ever seen in Chicago’. 1970‘D. Halliday’ Dolly & Cookie Bird xi. 170 There was a sharp pop, a clang, and the zinging noise of a ricocheting bullet. 1972Daily Tel. (Colour Suppl.) 4 Feb. 8/3 She beat me like a rug, pounded me like dough, using karate chops, zinging finger stabs, incredible flicks. 1978G. Durrell Garden of Gods iii. 59 The air was..full of the zinging cries of cicadas.
▪ IV. zing(e
obs. or dial. ff. sing v.1 |