| 释义 |
so so, so-so, adv. and a. (n.)|ˈsəʊ ˈsəʊ|
Also 6 soo soo, soso, 6–9 so, so, 9 Sc. saesae.
[So adv. Cf. G. so so, Du. zoo zoo, WFris. sa sa, in similar use.]
For so, so, as a mere exclamation, see so adv. 5 c.
A. adv. In an indifferent, mediocre, or passable manner or degree; indifferently, not quite satisfactorily:
a. With verbs.
1530Palsgr. 842/1 So so, tellement quellement. 1548Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Luke vi. 73 b, This thyng, the pharisees could soso awaie withall, because it was a thyng..of the common vsage. 1553Respublica 647 My ladie, howe doe youe? Respub. Even so so, people. 1598R. Grenewey Tacitus, Ann. xii. x. (1622) 171 His wife..endured the first flight so so, for feare of the enemy and loue of hir husband. 1675Wood Life (O.H.S.) II. 318 Villerius Bathurst e Coll. Trin. [spoke] well, Philippus Clarke e Coll. Magd. so so. 1872Routledge's Ev. Boy's Ann. 579/1 ‘And you have succeeded fairly?’ ‘So-so,’ he answered. 1877H. James American vii. 120 ‘And are you enjoying it?’.. ‘Oh, so⁓so,’ he answered.
b. With pa. pples., ppl. adjs., and adjs.
1532St. Papers Hen. VIII, VII. 396 The said old Abbot of Ferfa, reconcyled soo soo to the Pope, hath been of late at Rome. 1548Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Luke v. 65 Seeyng the place to be so-so commodious for one to preache the ghospel in. 1600Shakes. A.Y.L. v. i. 29 Clo. Art rich? Will. Faith sir, so, so. 1828Scott Jrnl. 30 Jan., Am I satisifed with my exertions? So so. 1861G. J. Whyte-Melville Market Harb. 41 ‘I suppose you are very well mounted yourself?’ ‘So-so,’ was the reply.
c. With but.
1578Timme Calvin on Gen. 276 Seeing the Canaanites maintained their life but so so. a1656Ussher Ann. (1658) 151 To see the stipend duly paid.., which yet was but so so performed by him. 1720C. Shadwell Sham Prince v. i, And so we stitch up one another, and do but so so at the best. 1762Crazy Tales 110 They pass their summers but so so, Drinking as long as they are able. 1820Hogg Bridal of Polmood xvi, The king asked..how he had passed the night—he thanked his majesty, and said he had been but so so.
B. adj. Indifferent, mediocre, of middling quality; neither very good nor very bad, but usu. inclining towards bad. Freq. with but.
1. Of things:
a. In predicative use.
(a)1542Udall Erasm. Apoph. 313 b, The maister of the feaste had sette upon the table wyne that was but easie and soso. 1576Fleming Panopl. Epist. 120 If our fortune bee but so so, indifferent (I meane). 1616R. C. Times' Whistle (1871) 63 Your white or Clarret Is but so so; he cares not greatly for it. 1682D'Urfey Butler's Ghost 135 Doubting their luck would be but so-so, And that it would disgrace them all [etc.]. 1827De Quincey Murder Wks. 1854 IV. 9 It is no disparagement to say, that his performance was but so-so.
(b)1591Sparry tr. Cattan's Geomancie 128 It is so-so for the ayre, for it will raine often times. 1611Cotgr., Bellastre,..fairish, reasonably faire, passable, so so. 1654Whitlock Zootomia 260 These Elements to Books Composure go, Some good, some bad, and some So, So. 1712Swift Jrnl. to Stella 18 Nov., I dined there t'other day,..and our meat and drink was very so so. 1771Goldsm. Haunch of Venison 9 As in some Irish houses, where things are so so, One gammon of bacon hangs up for a show. 1820Byron Blues ii. 77 The taste of the actors at best is so so. 1862Thackeray Philip xvi, Her pianoforte playing is very so-so indeed. 1871B. Taylor Faust (1875) I. v. 90 My wish is great, my power is only so-so.
b. Used attributively.
1767Woman of Fashion II. 48 You will, I fear, make but a so so Figure, as that domestic Animal, a Husband. 1788Wolcot (P. Pindar) Peter's Pension Wks. 1812 II. 18 Your man-traps..have had but so-so luck. 1837Barham Ingol. Leg. Ser. i. Grey Dolphin, After leading but a so-so life. 1862Burgon Letters from Rome 260 Acres of so-so statues, and nameless busts. 1899A. Werner Capt. Locusts 279 Having got together some very so-so writing materials.
Comb.1824S. E. Ferrier Inher. xviii, Very so-so looking strawberries.
2. Of persons:
a. In respect of ability, character, position, appearance, etc.
1608Bp. Andrewes Serm. (1841) II. 224 They that have not greatly gone astray, are but even so so. 1663Killigrew Parson's Wedding i. ii, Ay marry,..this is a husband,..and none of your so-so husbands. 1675Cotton Burlesque upon B. 110 They pretty passable are though (Thank Jove) the Children are so so. 1775F. Burney Early Diary (1889) II. 57 Mrs. Harris—a so-so sort of woman. 1823Byron Juan xiii. lxxxii, I've seen..a so-so matron boldly fight Her way back to the world. 1864Realm 22 June 2 No one can deny that among the clergy there is more than a fair percentage of very so-so people.
b. In respect of health or physical condition.
a1592Greene Jas. IV, Wks. (Rtldg.) 194 Our king is well, our queen so-so. 1662J. Wilson Cheats i. v, M.D. I am afraid you are not well Sir. Sc. Yes—I am so, so. 1731Gentl. Mag. I. 349 Howe'er it is, I scarcely know, I find myself but just so so. 1800W. B. Rhodes Bomb. Fur. i. (1830) 7 We are but middling—that is but so so. 1838Dickens O. Twist xvii, ‘Hoping you find yourself well, sir!’ ‘So-so, Mrs. Mann,’ replied the beadle. 1857Hughes Tom Brown ii. v, ‘How 's he?’.. ‘So, so; rather done, I think, since his last fall.’
c. In respect of soberness.
1809Malkin Gil Blas ii. iv. ⁋4 We drank hard, and returned..in a pretty pickle, that is to say, so-so in the upper story. 1818Keats Lett. Wks. 1889 III. 158 Rice may begin to crow, for he got a little so-so at a party of his, and was none the worse for it the next morning.
3. Marked by the excessive use of ‘so’ in writings or speech.
a1800Pegge Anecd. Eng. Lang. (1814) 217 Our Cockney, however, may be supported in this his so-so language by respectable Historians.
Hence so-so-so a. (nonce-use.)
1768F. Burney Early Diary (1889) I. 21 We had a large party to the Assembly on Monday, which was so-so-so. |