释义 |
byrˈlady, int. Still dial. Forms: 6 byrladye, ber-, burlady, byr lady, 6–7 bir lady, ber-, birladie, barlady, 7 birlady, b'ar ladie, 9 dial. by'r leddie, by-leddy, 6– byrlady, by'rlady. Contraction of by our Lady, used as an oath, form of adjuration, or expletive.
1570Play Wit & Sc. (1848) 18 Byrladye, not thou wench, I judge you. 1592Chettle Kind-Harts Dr. (1841) 35 Byr lady, this would be lookt into. 1592Shakes. Rom. & Jul. i. v. 35 Berlady thirtie yeares. 1616Pasquil & Kath. iii. 182 B'ar Ladie, that's a bumming sound. 1632Brome North. Lasse iv. iv, Birladie a competent modern portion. 1821Coleridge Lett. Convers., &c. I. 221 Very late, or, by'r lady, it might be early in the morning. 1884St. James's Gaz. 20 June 6/1 The farmers [near Ludlow, Shropshire], although none of them are Roman Catholics, swear ‘by'r Leddie’. |