| 释义 |
Morton's Fork|ˈmɔːtənz fɔːk|
[f. the name of John Morton (c 1420–1500), Archbishop of Canterbury and minister of Henry VII + fork n. 1.]
John Morton's method of levying forced loans by arguing that those who were obviously rich could afford to pay, and those who lived frugally must have savings. Cf. quot. 1622 s.v. crotch 7. Also transf.
1889J. Gairdner Henry Seventh x. 151 One article suggested an argument familiarly known as ‘Morton's fork’. 1930Sellar & Yeatman 1066 and all That xxix. 49 Henry VII was a miser and very good at statecraft; he invented some extremely clever policies such as the one called Morton's Fork. 1964New Statesman 28 Feb. 318/1 The political consequence of this is that he is now—publicly at least—caught on Morton's Fork. 1965Listener 16 Sept. 429/2, I don't think Mr. Smith can altogether pass unscratched between the twin prongs of that Morton's fork. 1973Times Lit. Suppl. 17 Aug. 957/5 A fine Morton's fork technique this—those who went were conspirators and those who stayed away were cowards. 1974Cosmopolitan May 132/1 ‘Morton's Fork,’ she laughed wryly. ‘Young and torpid or old and energetic.’ |