| 释义 |
pratfall, n. Chiefly N. Amer. slang.|ˈprætfɔːl|
Also prat(t)-fall.
[f. prat n.2 + fall n.1]
a. Theatr. A comedy fall; a fall on to the buttocks.
1939N. Coward Play Parade II. 108 Don't do a pratfall in your first routine. 1941L. Rosten Hollywood 316 The Hollywood writers—graduates of the westerns..masters of the chase, the ‘pratt-fall’..—kept the movies moving. 1952‘E. Box’ Death in Fifth Position (1954) ii. 47 Some homicidal maniac..who enjoyed seeing ballerinas take fatal pratfalls. 1960B. Keaton Wonderful World of Slapstick (1967) 96 Pop's pratfalls astonished Roscoe and everybody else. 1961Guardian 27 Apr. 9/4 A more intelligent form of humour—away from the pratfall type of thing. 1977Time 26 Dec. 49/1 Only Saturday-morning TV addicts could possibly endure the antics of The World's Greatest Lover, in which characters are forever shouting their lines, bulging their eyes and stumbling through pratfalls.
b. transf. and fig.
1953R. Bradbury Fahrenheit 451 (1954) i. 56 Life becomes one big pratfall. 1956D. Karp All Honorable Men 174 That gentlemen is in for a rude surprise some morning soon. I understand he handles government contracts. Another pratfall soon. 1971Guardian 25 Nov. 17/2 Performers who write their own material often take enormous pratfalls. 1977Rolling Stone 7 Apr. 43/1 Why has an important investigation so quickly degenerated into a series of pratfalls?
Hence as v. intr., to fall on to the buttocks. Hence prat-fallen, -falling ppl. adjs. Also fig.
1940Time 29 Jan. 41/1 The sight of Sonja (for the fourth time in her professional career) pratt-fallen. Ibid. 30 Dec. 30/1 Opera at the Met has a way of prattfalling between two stools. 1942Ibid. 3 Aug. 74/2 On the way to the plate he prat-falls on the carefully laid-out row of bats in front of the dugout. 1972Listener 6 July 22/1 The eloquent gamey pratfalling scapegoat. 1973D. Lees Rape of Quiet Town iv. 55 As the tension built up..it was a piece of prat-falling comedy that saved me. |