| 释义 |
back East, adv. and n. N. Amer.
Brit. |ˌbak ˈiːst|, U.S. |ˈbæk ˈist|
Forms: also with lower-case initial in the second element.
[Apparently partly ‹back adv. + east adj., and partly ‹back adv. + east adv. Compare down east at down adv. 30, out West n., out West adv.]
A. adv. In or to the eastern part of the United States or Canada (esp. the coastal regions) from the west. Cf. out West adv.
Originally with reference to the eastern origins of settlers migrating westward during the expansion of the United States and Canada in the 19th cent.
1844Prairie Farmer Jan. 24/2, I am determined to sell it [sc. the farm]..and either go back East or settle in Chicago. 1873J. H. Beadle Undeveloped West xxxiii. 720 Others lost heart in the long continued ‘hard times’ and moved back East. 1925G. Ade Let. 28 Mar. (1973) 104 He..was sending word back east that the material was not what you wanted. 1955Lethbridge (Alberta) Herald 28 July 14/3 They can't seem to sell them back east, though. 2001J. Hammerslough Dematerializing i. 28 Jake is a snotty California college kid who will..spend the holidays with his family back East.
B. n. The eastern part of the United States or Canada (esp. the coastal regions), as regarded by inhabitants of the west. Cf. out West n.
1864Ladies' Repository Dec. 713/1 The 'Squire's folks had friends come from back East. 1909Papers & Proc. Gen. Meeting Amer. Libr. Assoc. 1909 349/1 We have gone through the hardships of pioneer days together;..and now in our days of plenty we unite in our efforts to give our children some of the advantages of ‘back East’. 1962J. H. Bunzel Amer. Small Businessman iii. 100 He represents the cruel and cunning moneyed interests of the syndicate from back East. 2006Edmonton Jrnl. (Nexis) 9 Apr. e3 Many of them came from back East..and the loneliness of living on the prairie often sent them right back. |