| 释义 |
▪ I. Peter, n.1|ˈpiːtə(r)|
Forms: 1–2 Petrus, 2– Peter; also 3–5 Petir, 4–5 Petre; 7– peeter (in senses 4–6).
[In 12th c. Peter, ad. L. Petrus, a. Gr. Πέτρος, lit. ‘Stone’, translating Syriac kēfā (Cephas) ‘stone’, the surname conferred by Christ upon one of his disciples, Simon Peter, historically known as St. Peter, in honour of whom it subsequently became a noted Christian name, in many local forms, e.g. It. Pietro, Pedro, Sp. Pg. Pedro, Pr. Peire, OF. Pierres, in regimen Pierre, F. Pierre, AF. Piers, Pers, Pierce; OE. Petrus, gen. Pet(e)res, dat. Pet(e)re, acc. Petrus, -um; in Hatt. Gosp. nom. Petrus, Peter, dat. acc. Petre, ME. 3–5 Petir, 4–5 Wyclif Petre.]
A male Christian name; hence in many transferred uses, mostly referring directly or indirectly to St. Peter.
1.
†a. As an exclamation or quasi-oath. Obs. (Cf. Mary! Marry! etc.)
c1350Will. Palerne 681 He wende ful witerly sche were in is armes: Ac peter! it nas but is puluere. 1362Langl. P. Pl. A. vi. 28 ‘Knowest þou ouht A Corseynt Men calleþ Seynt Treuþe’..‘Peter!’ quod a Plouȝ-Mon..‘I knowe him as kuyndeliche, as Clerk doþ his bokes’.
b. [Imitative.] The cry of various tits.
1874C. M. Yonge Lady Hester ii. 28 The tomtits were calling ‘peter’ in the trees. 1892― Old Woman's Outlook ii. 37 Sunshine, setting the thrushes and robins to sing, and the ox-eyes to cry Peter.
2. Used in proverbial phrases in conjunction with Paul; esp. in to rob († borrow from, † unclothe) Peter to pay († clothe) Paul, to take away from one person, cause, etc. in order to pay, or confer something on, another; to discharge one debt by incurring another.
In quot. c 1400 we might think that there was a mere conjunction of two well-known alliterating names (cf. Jack and Jill); but something is prob. due to the association of St. Peter and St. Paul, as leading apostles and saints, and as fellow-martyrs at Rome. The phrase ‘to rob Peter, etc.’ may have no more specific origin; at least, the current explanation (quoted by Heylin in 1657–61) is in its details set aside by the chronology, as well as by the occurrence of the phrase in French also: cf.1611Cotgr. s.v. Pol, Descouvrir S. Pierre pour couvrir S. Pol, to build, or inrich one Church with the ruines, or reuenues of another ; also in mod.F., décoiffer Saint Pierre pour coiffer Saint Paul.
c1400Lanfranc's Cirurg. 331 Sum medicyne is for peter þat is not good for poul, for þe diuersite of complexioun. 1515Barclay Egloges i, Fewe Princes geue that which to them selfe attayne... They robbe saint Peter therewith to cloth S. Powle. 1562J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 131 Rob Peter and pay Poule, thou sayst I do: But thou robst and poulst Peter and Poule too. 1581G. Pettie Guazzo's Civ. Conv. iii. (1586) 168 b, That in my iudgement is a shamefull thing..to uncloath Peter to cloath Paule. 1657–61Heylin Hist. Ref. (1674) 121 The Lands of Westminster so dilapidated by Bishop Thirlby..the rest laid out for Reparation to the Church of St. Paul; pared almost to the very quick in those days of Rapine. From hence first came that significant By-word (as is said by some) of Robbing Peter to pay Paul. 1692R. L'Estrange Fables clxxvi. (1714) 215 Those that Rob Peter, as we say, to Pay Paul, and take the Bread out of their Masters Mouths to give it to Strangers. a1693Urquhart's Rabelais iii. iii. 35 You may make a shift by borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. 1926Times 7 Jan. 9/6 Martin and Martin had been in low water for a long time and had recourse to the method of robbing Peter to pay Paul. 1961D. Woodward tr. Simenon's Premier iii. 84 After the disastrous experiments made by previous governments, which had lived from day to day, robbing Peter to pay Paul, the only solution was a large-scale devaluation. 1976Star (Sheffield) 29 Oct. 13/7 A Sheffield man who tried to set up a travel agency business was accused of ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’, at Sheffield Bankruptcy Court.
†3. A name for the cowslip: = herb Peter (see herb n. 7 b). Obs.
a1400–50Stockh. Med. MS. 192 Peter or cowsloppe, herba Petri.
†4. A kind of wine: ? = Peter-see-me. Obs.
a1625Fletcher Chances v. iii. (Song) By old Claret I enlarge thee, By Canary thus I charge thee, By Britain, Mathewglin, and Peeter, Appear and answer me in meeter.
†5. ‘Some kind of cosmetic’ (Halliwell). Obs.
1689Disc. Van. Modish Women iii. 43 Our fickle Ladies no less blush (I mean if their Peeter would give them leave). Ibid. xi. 175 Then her boxes of Peeter, and Patches, and all her Ornamental knacks and dresses.
6. a. Thieves' Cant and Taxi-drivers' slang. A portmanteau or trunk; a bundle or parcel of any kind.
1668Head Eng. Rogue i. Canting Vocab., Peter, a Port⁓mantua. a1700B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Flick the Peeter, cut off the Cloak-bag or Port-manteau. 1828P. Cunningham N.S. Wales II. 231 ‘Three peters cracked and frisked’, made a frequent opening of the morning's log. 1894A. Morrison Mean Streets, etc. 261 People sat defiantly on piles of luggage at the railway stations, and there was never a peter to touch for. 1930‘A. Armstrong’ Taxi xii. 164 ‘Peters’ are pieces of luggage,— a threepenny extra for the driver. 1939H. Hodge Cab, Sir? iii. xv. 221 The driver calls each package a ‘Peter’.
b. Criminals' slang. A safe or cash-box; a cash register, a till.
1859G. W. Matsell Vocabulum 66 Peter, a port⁓manteau; a travelling-bag; a trunk; an iron chest; a cash-box. 1862[see peter-cutter, sense 8 a]. 1868[see peter-screwing, sense 8 a]. 1869Macm. Mag. Oct. 506/1 After we left the course, we..got a peter (cashbox) with very near a century of quids in it. 1889Clarkson & Richardson Police! xxv. 351 In order to ‘ready’ these places, they watch the shops at closing time, to learn if the swag is placed in the ‘Peter’, or safe. 1935A. J. Pollock Underworld Speaks 87/1 Peter, a cash drawer; a money box; cash register. 1936J. Curtis Gilt Kid xvii. 171 There was no safe. ‘There ain't no peter.’ ‘No.’ 1943Penguin New Writing XVII. 66 He pushed me over one more double gin which he only pretended to ring up on the peter, but there wasn't a chance to talk. 1945Baker Austral. Lang. viii. 140 To tickle the peter, to rob a till. 1958F. Norman Bang to Rights iii. 121 If some poor unsuspecting manageing [sic] director left his peter open well, I ask you? 1965M. Shadbolt Among Cinders xvi. 143 ‘Did he tickle the peter?’..‘To the tune of two thousand quid.’ 1967K. Giles Death & Mr Prettyman v. 98 But level, old boy, was Prettyman tickling the peter? 1970G. F. Newman Sir, You Bastard viii. 211 There was s'posed to be some dough in the Peter. 1978Daily Mail 25 Jan. 12/2 While most of the country's police call the safe a ‘peter’, in London it's a ‘gas’.
c. slang. A cell in a prison, a police station, a court of law, etc.; a lock-up. orig. Austral.
1890Barrère & Leland Dict. Slang II. 125/1 Peter..(Australian prison), punishment cell. 1953K. Tennant Joyful Condemned vi. 55 The doors of the peters just crash open at the name of McGarty. 1955D. Niland Shiralee 69 They could throw you in the peter stone-cold sober. 1958F. Norman Bang to Rights i. 9, I turned and walked down the stairs to the peter under the court. 1960C. Hatton in Pick of Today's Short Stories XI. 147 He snapped up any likely bloke just as soon as he..had come out of the peter. 1965Guardian 10 Oct. 21/6 ‘Hurry up and slop out’—‘Get back in your f― Peter’. 1973‘J. Patrick’ Glasgow Gang Observed ix. 81 He..had spent the first night in a police cell (or ‘peter’ as they call it).
d. U.S. slang. A stupefying drug.
1899‘J. Flynt’ Tramping with Tramps iv. 396 ‘Knockout drops’ are also ‘peter’. 1933Amer. Speech VIII. ii. 27/1 Among the addicts dope in general is known as gow, junk, or peter (any kind of knockout drops). 1971E. E. Landy Underground Dict. 148 Peter..Chloral hydrate.
e. slang. The penis.
1902Farmer & Henley Slang V. 177/1 Peter... 4. (venery).—The penis: also St. Peter. 1928Dialect Notes VI. 61 The proper name Peter..is so universally used by children and facetious adults as a name for the penis that it never quite loses this significance. Very few natives of the Ozarks will consider naming a boy Peter. 1940C. McCullers Heart is Lonely Hunter i. ii. 18 There was one fellow who had had his peter and his left leg blown off in a boiler explosion. 1970R. D. Abrahams Positively Black ii. 41, I fuck your mammy on a red hot heater; I miss her pussy and burn my peter. 1975M. Kenyon Mr Big v. 48 In New Jersey peter was childhood slang for penis, equivalent to willie and john thomas. 1977J. Wambaugh Black Marble (1978) vi. 75 If you look very closely you can see a gerbil's dick, but not a parakeet's peter.
7. Blue Peter: see blue a. 13 (also Naut. and in Whist simply Peter). In Bridge, = echo n. 8.
1803Naval Chron. IX. 417 She has had Blue Peter's flag flying at the fore, as a signal..for sailing. 1885Proctor in Longm. Mag. VI. 606 The signal or Peter consists in playing an unnecessarily high card to a trick. 1891Kipling Barrack-Room Ballads (1892) 205 See the shaking funnels roar, with the Peter at the fore. 1939[see echo n. 8]. 1945Phillips & Reese How to play Bridge iii. xiii. 115 East's play of the 8 is the commencement of what is known as a ‘peter’. 1959Listener 27 Aug. 334/2 There are those who advocate the peter to indicate length at virtually all times in defence. 1966Sunday Tel. 14 Aug. 9/6 Every bridge player knows the principle of high-low defence as a signal of encouragement. Generally known as the ‘peter’ in Britain and the ‘echo’ or ‘come-on’ in America, it is most frequently used against an opponent's trump contract to indicate strength or a doubleton. 1974Country Life 28 Mar. 750/3 South played a Diamond to the King, East starting a peter.
8. Comb.
a. † Peter-corn: see quot.; Peter-fish = St. Peter's fish (see b); † petergrass (-grys), app. a name for wild thyme; Peter Grievous (also Peter Grievance), one who complains; a whining child; freq. attrib. or as adj., complaining, fretful, miserable (dial. and slang); Peter Gunner, ‘an amateur gun’ (Farmer Slang; but cf. Peter = saltpetre); † Peterlock (?); Peternet, a kind of fishing net; Peter-pastoral adj., derisive expansion of pastoral. Also slang in sense 6, as peter-claiming, peter-cutter, peter-hunting, peter-lay, peter-popping, peter-ringer, peter-screwing (see quots.). See also peter-boat, -man, -penny.
1894A. Morrison Mean Streets, etc. 258 From this, he ventured on *peterclaiming, laying hands nonchalantly on unconsidered parcels and bags at railway stations.
1736Drake Eboracum i. vii. 332 One thrave of corn out of every carucate of land..in the bishopric of York; which to this day is called *Peter corn.
1862Mayhew Lond. Labour IV. 339 Some cracksmen have what is called a *petter-cutter, that is, a cutter for iron safes.
a1682Sir T. Browne Tracts iii. 99 The fish called..by some, a *Peter or Penny-fish..having two remarkable round spots upon either side, these are conceived to be the marks of St. Peter's fingers.
c1425Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 645/2 Hoc sirpillum, *petergrys.
[1724(title of play) Valentine and Orson, with the comical whining humours of Peter Pitiful.] 1774F. Hopkinson (title) A pretty story written in the year of Our Lord 2774. By *Peter Grievous, Esq. 1777H. L. Thrale in Thraliana (1942) I. 155 Cradocke had written a Tragedy a very deep one they said..We'll call it Peter said he—the scene was in Russia, at least said I let it be Peter Grievous. 1875W. D. Parish Dict. Sussex Dial. 86 Peter-grievous, fretful; whining. ‘What a peter-grievous child you are! Whatever is the matter?’ 1894Southward Ho! I. 338 (E.D.D.), A peter-grievous wot shrapes an makes a rookery, an a ranky chimley be pettigues fer to send a feller in de crazy-house. 1896G. F. Northall Warwickshire Word-bk. 172 Peter Grievous, sb. A grumbler: a grievance-monger. Oxf. (Peter Grievance, a cross, fretful child). The word is used as an adjective also, as ‘He's a regular peter-grievous fellow.’ Glouc., Worc. 1932E. Weekley Words & Names vii. 90 Peter grievous, a lachrymose individual, belongs to the class of simple Simon.
1615Cold Yeare 1614, C ij, It was a shame that poore harmelesse Birds could not be suffered in such pittifull cold weather to save them-selues under a Bush..but that euery paltrie *Peter-gunner must fart Fire and Brimstone at them. 1633Shirley Witty Fair One ii. ii, I smell powder,..this peter-gunner should have given fire. 1811Lexicon Balatr., Peter Gunner, who will kill all the birds that died last summer.
1812J. H. Vaux Flash Dict., *Peter-hunting, traversing the streets or roads for the purpose of cutting away trunks, &c. from travelling carriages.
1725New Cant. Dict., *Peter-Lay, Rogues who follow Petty Thefts, such as cutting Portmanteaus, &c. from behind Coaches.
1397–8in 36th Rep. Dep. Kpr. (1875) App. ii. 90 [Nine locks with nine keys, called] *petrelokes.
1584in Descr. Thames (1758) 63 Treat Nets, *Peter Nets, must be two Inches large in the Meish. 1880–4Day Fishes Gt. Brit. & Irel. I. p. ci, Peter-nets have floats along the upper rope and weights along the foot-line, one end is attached on shore, and the other anchored out at sea on a right line with the coast.
1821Blackw. Mag. VIII. 672 Water-gruel sonnets on the *peter-pastoral ruralities of the Serpentine.
1960Observer 24 Jan. 5/2 The expertise of *peter-popping consists in knowing just how much gelignite to use on the safe in question.
1863Once a Week 7 Nov. 555/2 Well, my friend, a *Peter-ringer is one who tries to get his living by stealing carpet-bags.
1868Temple Bar XXIV. 537 ‘What do you mean by ‘lobster-sneaking’, and ‘Peter-screwing’?’ ‘Why, ‘lob’ means the till, and ‘Peter’ means a safe. Stealing the till and opening the safe is what we call ‘lob-sneaking’ and ‘Peter-screwing’.’
b. Combinations with Peter's: † (St.) Peter's barge, bark, boat, ship, allusive names for the Christian or Catholic Church; † St. Peter's corn, the single-grained wheat, Triticum monococcum (Linn.); † Peter's cress, a name for Samphire: see quot.; (St.) Peter's fish, a name given to several fishes (as the John Dory, the haddock, etc.) having a mark on each side near the pectoral fin, affirmed in legend to have been made by St. Peter's thumb and finger when he caught the fish for the tribute-money (Matt. xvii. 27); Peter's penny: see Peter-penny.
c1440J. Capgrave Life St. Kath. iv. 1214 Ye shal leden hem on-to *peteres barge.
1597Gerarde Herbal i. xlvii. §1. 68 Briza Monococcos, after L'Obelius;..in English *Saint Peters Corne. 1884Miller Plant-n., St. Peter's Corn, Triticum monococcum.
1866Treas. Bot. 347 *Cress, Peter's, an old name for Crithmum maritimum. Ibid. 348 Thus a herb properly enough called Rock-cress from its growing in the crevices of rocks, came to be known as Peter's cress.
1611Cotgr., Dorée, the Dorce, or *Saint Peters fish. 1668Wilkins Real Char. 137 Doree, St. Peters fish. 1857Wright Dict. II. 738/1 Peter's-fish, the haddock. Haddock has spots on either side, which are said to be marks of St. Peter's fingers, when he caught that fish for the tribute.
1678Donna Olimpia 188 The only man judged capable of governing *St. Peter's Ship in so boisterous time.
c. St. Peter's wort (also St. Peterwort, Peterwort), a name for several plants: (a) the Cowslip, Primula veris (= Herb Peter); (b) certain species of Hypericum or St. John's wort, esp. H. quadrangulum; also of the kindred American genus Ascyrum; (c) Feverfew, Pyrethrum Parthenium.
1516Grete Herball cccl. T v, Primula veris is called prymerolles. Some call it saynt peterworte. 1552Elyot, Ascyrum,..of some is called Peter worte: other wolde haue it to be Tutson; some think it to be a kind of S. Iohns worte, and that is most lykely, and may be called square S. Iohns grasse. 1578Lyte Dodoens i. xi. 19 It [Feverfew] is called..of some Whitewurte, also S. Peters wurt. Ibid. xlv. 66 It is hoate and dry like S. Iohns grasse, or S. Peters wurte. 1597Gerarde Herbal ii. cli. 434. 1733 Miller Gard. Dict., Ascyrum, S. Peter's wort. 1785Martyn Rousseau's Bot. xxv. (1794) 373 Another wild sort..growing in moist hedges and woods, and called Saint Peter's wort.
Hence ˈpeterkin, ˈpeterling nonce-wds. [dim. of Peter], a petty claimant to the spiritual position of St. Peter and his reputed successors the Popes.
c1662F. Kerby in P. Heywood's Diaries, etc. (1883) III. 30 Proud peter-lings vouchsafe the crown to bles. 1892Huxley Ess. Controverted Quest. 15 Setting up Lutheran, Zwinglian, and other Peterkins, in the place of the actual claimant to the reversion of the spiritual wealth of the Galilean fisherman.
▪ II. Peter, n.2|ˈpiːtə(r)|
The name of Dr. Laurence Johnston Peter (b. 1919), Canadian-born U.S. educationalist and author, used attrib. in Peter principle (see quot. 1968). Also Peter's principle.
1968L. J. Peter Peter Principle (1969) i. 25 My analysis of hundreds of cases of occupational incompetence led me on to formulate The Peter Principle: In a Hierarchy Every Employee Tends to Rise to His Level of Incompetence. 1969Sunday Times (Colour Suppl.) 21 Dec. 30/2 What is now called the Peter Principle: the system by which a man is always promoted until he reaches a job which he cannot do. 1970Guardian Weekly 25 July 6 Much blame must attach to the administrative system,..which religiously follows the Peter Principle of promoting mediocrities. 1976Publishers Weekly 15 Mar. 58/3 Most flibbertigibbet corporate president (maybe the Peter Principle applies here). 1978Jrnl. R. Soc. Arts CXXVI. 273/2 In in-company situations, assessment centres can hopefully help avoid Peter's principle, whereby everyone is promoted to his level of incompetence. 1980Observer 27 Jan. 4/3 There is a school of Westminster and Belfast thought which sees Mr Atkins as a classic example of the Peter Principle—promoted above his level of competence. |