| 释义 |
Plan A, n. orig. U.S.
Brit. |ˌplan ˈeɪ|, U.S. |ˈplæn ˈeɪ|
Forms: also with lower-case initial(s).
[‹ plan n. + A n. (indicating first position in a series). Compare slightly earlier Plan B n.]
1. The first of a series of plans (esp. ordered by preference, expedience, etc.).
1870Rep. U.S. Commissioners Paris Universal Expos. 1867 134 According to plan A, with the whole head of Bessemer steel the cost per ton..is {pstlg}8 12s. 1d.; and secondly, according to plan B, with the top or wearing surface of the rail only of Bessemer steel, the cost..is {pstlg}8 6s. 8d. 1937Jrnl. Higher Educ. 8 335/1 Plan A will be a continuation of the present program. Plan B provides ‘that..Juniors and Seniors may either pursue Plan A or may receive a modified or less intensive form of tutorial instruction’. 1955N.Y. Times 15 Nov. 43/5 Plan A A: Opening day, twenty-one night games, twelve Sundays, twelve Saturdays and the Fourth of July. Plan A: Opening day, twenty-one night games, twelve Sundays, and the Fourth of July. Plan B: twenty-one night games. 1964N.Y. Times 11 Dec. 1/3 Plan A, the one least attractive to the Republicans, will be passed first. It will be signed into Law. Then Plan B will be passed as an amendment and signed... The same thing will be done with Plans C and D. 2003Weekly Standard 3 Feb. 13/1 There are two basic approaches to reducing the marriage penalty. Call them Plan A and Plan B.
2. colloq. (freq. humorous). An original or preferred course of action, esp. one which has not taken effect (cf. Plan B n. 2).
1977Washington Post 5 Oct. e4/2 When you resort to plays like that, that is Plan B... That means you didn't spend enough time on Plan A. 1987M. Lupica & B. Parcells Parcells ii. 27 It was Rutledge's call as to whether he tried the quarterback sneak, or just went back to Plan A, the punt. 1997N.Y. Times Mag. 12 Oct. 77/1 It was their intention to work in the morning and pursue their art in the afternoon. But..the public response to their thin-crusted pizzas, rustic game birds and robust seafood made short shrift of Plan A. 2002Rolling Stone 28 Feb. 38/3 He was going to pay his way through college, and he was going to become a rock star. Or a lawyer. ‘I figured I had to have a Plan A and a Plan B,’ he says. |