| 释义 |
Shylock|ˈʃaɪlɒk|
The name of the Jewish money-lender in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice; allusively, an extortionate usurer. Also, a Jew, a pawnbroker; in U.S. (with lower-case initial), an abusive term for a moneylender; = loan-shark s.v. loan n.1 5. (These uses are considered offensive.) Also attrib.
1786R. Cumberland Observer (ed. 2) III. No. 64. 30 Smoke the Jew!.. Out with Shylock. 1894Gunter King's Stockbroker ii. 24 ‘Won't I beggar my boarders!’ With this Shylock idea in his mind,..Lanty cries excitedly to a waiter. 1898Westm. Gaz. 2 July 1/3 The essence of the real Shylock's business is that he extorts money from his victims on threats of various kinds. 1898W. J. Locke Idols vi. 81 He could raise the money, cry quits with the urbane and gentle-mannered Shylock. 1901Skrine Life Sir W. Hunter xiv. 261 The peasantry must be delivered from thraldom to village Shylocks. 1930Sat. Even. Post 5 Apr. 48/1 There are also guys present who are called Shylocks, because they will lend you dough when you go broke at the table, on watches or rings..at very good interest. 1935Sun (Baltimore) 28 Dec. 1/3 The jury held the backbone of the ‘shylock’ or usury racket had been broken in the city by Dewey. 1951Turkus & Feder Murder, Inc. v. 121 ‘Sometimes it's as good as 3,000 per cent,’ one of the shylocks..explained. 1959I. & P. Opie Lore & Lang. Schoolch. xvi. 346 Today, children colloquially refer to a Jew as a Yid, Shylock, or Hooknose. 1972Report to Commissioner 121 The Panthers are worse than the shylocks... They keep bleeding you. 1976Sunday Times (Lagos) 1 Aug. 21/4 They are expected to alleviate the suffering of the common man who for long has been a victim of Shylock landlords. 1978S. Brill Teamsters iv. 150 A member who couldn't meet his shylock payments often found that the union people he ‘elected’, became enforcers against him.
Hence ˈShylock v. trans., to force (a person) to repay a debt, esp. at an exorbitant rate of interest; Shyˈlockian, ˈShylocky adjs., after the manner of or characteristic of Shylock; ˈshylocker U.S., one who charges an exorbitant rate of interest; ˈshylocking vbl. n. (U.S.).
a1818M. G. Lewis Jrnl. W. Ind. (1834) 50 It had such a kind of Shylocky taste of raw flesh about it. 1884Truth 4 Sept. 374/1 The terms paid for accommodation were so onerous that the bargain had been a Shylockian one. 1930H. G. Wells Autocracy of Mr. Parham iv. v. 308 They bullied and quarrelled when we were only too ready for acquiescent action. They Shylocked Europe. 1933A. G. Macdonell England, their England xiii. 242 One or two of them have had a bit of hard luck lately, and one can't Shylock the poor devils. 1951Turkus & Feder Murder, Inc. v. 120 Loan-sharking. ‘Shylocking,’ it is called. 1961Brooklyn Law Rev. XXVIII. 41 Such activities are the ‘shakedown racket’, ‘shylocking’ (where interest of 20% per week is charged..) and labor extortion. 1973Listener 27 Jan. 878/3 Today's Dillinger..controls vice, dope and shylocking (usury) throughout his State. 1973J. Gores Final Notice xii. 73 He's an enforcer for a shylocker..with lots of sweet loans to push the vigorish up. |