| 单词 | in dock, out nettle |
| 释义 | > as lemmasin dock, out nettle 3. in dock, out nettle: originally a charm uttered to aid the cure of nettle-stings by dock-leaves; †hence, in allusion to the full phrase used, a proverbial expression for changeableness and inconstancy (obsolete).The charm to be repeated during the rubbing process is ‘Nettle in, dock out, Dock in, nettle out, Nettle in, dock out, Dock rub nettle out’ ( Notes & Queries Ser. i. III. 133). ΘΚΠ the mind > will > decision > irresolution or vacillation > inconstancy > [phrase] in dock, out nettlec1374 c1374 G. Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde iv. 433 (461) But kanstow pleyen raket to and fro, Netle In, dokke out, now this now þat, Pandare? a1556 N. Udall Ralph Roister Doister (?1566) ii. iii. sig. C.iiij I can not skill of such chaungeable mettle, There is nothing with them but in docke out nettle. a1626 L. Andrewes Serm. 391 Off and on, fast or loose, in docke, out nettle, and in nettle, out docke. a1627 T. Middleton More Dissemblers besides Women iv. ii, in 2 New Playes (1657) 54 Is this my in dock, out nettle. 1715 tr. M.-C. d'Aulnoy Wks. 430 They had been in Dock out Nettle above forty and forty Times. < as lemmas |
| 随便看 |
英语词典包含1132095条英英释义在线翻译词条，基本涵盖了全部常用单词的英英翻译及用法，是英语学习的有利工具。