| 释义 |
ˈsoap-box
[f. soap n. + box n.2]
a. A box for holding soap; orig. and still occas., a small receptacle for a ball or bar of soap; later esp. a wooden case in which soap is or may be packed, traditionally used as a makeshift stand for a speaker; hence used fig. and allusively.
1660Act 12 Chas. II, c. 4 Sched. s.v. Boxes, Soap-boxes the Shock, containing three-score boxes. 1834Chambers's Edin. Jrnl. III. 143/3 A soap-box! A thing with a lid which is found on almost every wash-stand in Great Britain. 1862Catal. Internat. Exhib., Brit. II. No. 6130, Sponge tray, soap boxes, and brush trays. 1907J. London Road 211, I get up on a soap-box to trot out the particular economic bees that buzz in my bonnet. 1912Town Topics 16 Nov. 3/4 The days when a couple of..clerks on inverted soap boxes..were his staff. 1926–7Army & Navy Stores Catal. 104/3 Soap box. Useful for travellers—each 1/6. 1928Observer 1 Apr. 21/4 To use the language of Australian politics, ‘Soapbox must be met by soapbox.’ 1933E. O'Neill Days without End i. 32 If you knew what a burden he made my life for years with his preaching. Letter upon letter—each with a soap box inclosed, so to speak. 1943K. Tennant Ride on Stranger xxiii. 295 She made no answer to this outburst which, she felt, was only old Shanno blowing off steam... ‘Back to your soap box,’ she said briefly. 1945N. Mitford Pursuit of Love xiii. 97 She became an out-and-out Communist..preaching her new-found doctrine..from a soap-box in Hyde Park. 1948M. Laski Tory Heaven xi. 153 At his feet, a wax⁓faced baby moaned incessantly in a soap-box. 1960H. Hayward Antique Coll. 260/1 Soap-box, spherical box of silver, pewter or brass for soap-ball, standing on moulded base with screw-on or hinged pierced or plain cover. 1968Daily Tel. (Colour Suppl.) 13 Dec. 19/2, I look upon my wealth, and now the House of Lords, as useful soap boxes. 1977Time 14 Nov. 59/3 The primary U.S. condition for rejoining is that the I.L.O. get off its political soapbox.
b. attrib. (chiefly with reference to public speaking from a soap-box); soap-box cart, a child's cart made from a soap-box; so soap-box derby [Derby 1 d].
1918National Geographic July 8/1 (caption) The soap⁓box orator and his auditors. 1924Telephone Topics XVIII. 262 (heading) Public address system supersedes soap box oratory. 1927T. C. Pease United States 546 The choice of party candidates by manipulation of party conventions and soap-box primaries. 1933Dylan Thomas Let. Sept. (1966) 21 You must excuse my slight soap-box attitude. 1942E. Waugh Put out More Flags i. 72 Soap⁓box orators screaming their envy of the rich. 1950Manch. Guardian Weekly 4 May 3/2 The ‘Soap Box Derby’ is an American festival rather more important to some..youngsters than the Fourth of July. 1960Times 1 Mar. 13/1 The theatrical appeal of her soap-box oratory. 1977J. van de Wetering Death of Hawker xiii. 119, I like inventing. I was always making soap box carts when I was a child.
Hence (U.S.) soap-box v. intr., to speak from or as from a soap-box; soap-boxer, one who speaks from a soap-box; soap-boxing vbl. n.
1913Industrial Worker (Spokane, Washington) 10 Apr. 4/1 They do want all the publicity that can be given them by the press, by the locals, soap-boxers, and by individual conversation. 1919U. Sinclair Jimmie Higgins iv. 42 If he could have an assistant..the soap⁓boxing could go on every night. 1926E. O'Neill Great God Brown i. iii. 41 When you got to love to live it's hard to love living. I better join the A.F. of L. and soap-box for the eight-hour night! 1972Village Voice (N.Y.) 1 June 78/3 He's been a soap boxer for the IWW (actually he sang and his brother spoke). |