| 释义 |
sheep's eye(s
(Also 7 sheep-eyes.)
[Cf. WFris. skiepseach, Du. schaapsoog, G. schafsauge.]
1. Phr.
a. to cast (or throw) a sheep's-eye at or upon, now usually to cast (occas. to make) sheep's-eyes at: to look lovingly, amorously, or longingly at.
a1529Skelton Agst. Garnesche iii. 54 When ye kyst a shepys ie,..[At] mastres Andelby. a1586Sidney Arcadia ii. (Sommer) 107 Mopsa throwing a great number of sheeps eyes vpon me. 1614B. Jonson Barth. Fair v. iv, Hero..seeing Leanders naked legge, and goodly calfe, Cast at him, from the boat, a Sheepes eye, and a halfe. 1726Adv. Capt. R. Boyle 247 Don Manuel cast many a Sheep's Eye at my Wife and his good Lady at me. 1731–8Swift Pol. Conversat. 30, I have often seen him cast a Sheep's Eye out of a Calf's Head at you. 1809Malkin Gil Blas i. iv. (Rtldg.) 9, I could not help casting a sheep's eye at the gold and silver plate peeping out of the different cupboards. 1811Colman Br. Grins (ed. 5) 57 He, the beast! was casting sheeps-eyes at her, Out of his bullock head. 1848Thackeray Van. Fair xxvii, The horrud old Colonel,..was making sheep's eyes at a half-caste girl there. 1888Bryce Amer. Commw. I. xix. 262 Local leaders cast sheep's eyes at the seat.
†b. to have a sheep's eye: (a) to be timorous; (b) see quot. 1711. Obs.
1598Gosson Trump. Warre D 5 b, Espialles were sent out to discouer the land of Promise, some of them hadde a sheepes eye:..Caleb had a Lions eye. [See Numbers xiii. 30, 31.] 1711Spect. No. 250 ⁋5 We say such an one has a Sheep's Eye, not so much to denote the Innocence as the simple Slyness of the Cast.
2. An amorous glance.
1604W. Terilo Fr. Bacon's Proph. 283 If a couple kindly kisse, The third thinkes somewhat is amisse. Now sheepes⁓eies are so watcht, That Lambes can hardly sleepe. 1842S. Lover Handy Andy ii, Tom's all ram's horns, and the widow is all sheep's eyes.
So ˈsheep's-eye v. trans., to cast sheep's eyes at.
1801Coleridge Let. to R. Southey 22 July, I should begin to look the damsel Hope full in the face, instead of sheep's-eyeing her. |