释义 |
Pru|pruː| Colloq. abbrev. of Prudential Assurance Company; esp. in phr. (the) man from the Pru, a representative of the Company who calls regularly at private houses to collect life insurance premiums (see quot. 1963).
1927W. E. Collinson Contemp. Eng. 111 The best known English company, the Prudential, is often called the Pru. 1961C. Cockburn View from West ii. 19 To what extent..is our entire view of life..determined by what is told us by the Men from the Pru? 1963Times 24 Apr. 12/3 The Prudential Assurance Company has discontinued the issue of life insurance policies paid by weekly premiums. This does not mean that ‘the man from the Pru’ will no longer be calling from door to door: all new ‘industrial’ life policy premiums will ordinarily be collected every four weeks instead of weekly. 1973A. Behrend Samarai Affair xiii. 141 She..said with no more emotion than if addressing a man from the Pru, ‘My husband's told me what you've come for.’ 1978Guardian Weekly 15 Jan. 21/3 Next year I hope the Cottesloe [Theatre] will offer us, like the man from the Pru, a definite policy. |