ball and chainn.

Brit.

/ˌbɔːl (ə)n(d) ˈtʃeɪn/, U.S.

/ˌbɔl (ə)n ˈtʃeɪn/,

/ˌbɑl (ə)n ˈtʃeɪn/

Forms: 1800s– ball and chain, 1900s– ball an' chain, 1900s– ball n chain.

Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: ball n.¹, and conj.¹, chain n.

Etymology: < ball n.¹ + and conj.¹ + chain n.

Originally U.S.

1. A heavy metal ball secured by a chain to a person's leg to prevent escape or as a punishment. Cf. chain and ball at chain n. 2a. Now chiefly historical.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > punishment > imprisonment > prison > [noun] > instruments of punishment in > ball and chain

ball and chain1818

chain and ball1866

1818 J. M. Glassell Court Minutes 28 Apr. in Message from President U.S. (1819) 164 The court sentenced the prisoner to receive fifty stripes on his bare back, and be confined with a ball and chain, at hard labour.

1835 J. H. Ingraham South-West II. xxxviii. 189 The threat of the Calaboose, or the ‘ball and chain’.

1873 J. H. Beadle Undeveloped West vii. 132 Those who had fined and imprisoned culprits, or sent them to work with ball and chain.

1904 Brooklyn Daily Eagle 10 June 4 Tammany was..made work for him under ball and chain and in stripes.

1954 J. D. Horan Confederate Agent xxx. 275 The first time he had broken out with a Negro slave, and, using a plank to support his ball and chain, had swum the three miles to Logger Key.

1998 J. T. Power Lee's Miserables Prol. 8 Deserters who avoided a death penalty were given sentences ranging from three months' to five years' hard labor, most often with a ball and chain.

2. figurative.

a. A restriction, a burden, esp. a financial one.In quots. 1855, 1865 as part of an extended metaphor.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > subjection > restraint or restraining > restriction or limitation > [noun] > a) restriction(s)

bandc1175

conditionc1380

restrictiona1450

within one's tether?1523

confine1548

confinement1649

ball and chain1855

control1920

the world > action or operation > difficulty > hindrance > types or manners of hindrance > [noun] > encumberment > burdensomeness > a burden

burdenc971

chargec1300

packa1325

burnc1375

fardelc1380

weightc1380

carriagea1556

load1600

taxa1628

overpoise1697

dead weight1720

backload1725

millstone1787

tin kettle1796

nightmare-weight1847

ball and chain1855

1855 Defiance (Ohio) Democrat 10 Feb. Wives..are less eager to enjoy their independence than to assert it. They do not cast off altogether the ball and chain of their matrimonial bonds, but show themselves so restless, that they keep their legal guardians in a state of constant suspicion and anxiety.

1865 National Era 28 Aug. 138 We would as soon trust a young lamb to the tender mercies of a hungry wolf, as trust the rights of freemen to such hands. No! let them be bound hand and foot—let the Administration wear a ball and chain around its ankles.

1910 H. N. Casson Hist. Telephone v. 179 It was he who set the agents free from the ball-and-chain of royalties, allowing them to pay instead a percentage of gross receipts.

1950 E. Watkins Cautious Revol. xii. 220 £300 a year out of a possible £3,000 did not seem to them very much of a ball and chain.

1997 Independent (Nexis) 4 Mar. 6 Technology can be a ball and chain. Some investment bankers are encouraged to check their voice-mail and e-mail every six hours.

b. slang (usually depreciative). A man's wife or partner; (later also) a woman's husband or partner.Cf. quot. 1855 at sense 2a.

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > marriage or wedlock > married person > [noun] > spouse, consort, or partner

ferec975

matchOE

makec1175

spousea1200

lemanc1275

fellowc1350

likea1393

wed-ferea1400

partyc1443

espouse?c1450

bedfellow1490

yokefellow?1542

espousal1543

spouse1548

mate1549

marrow1554

paragon1557

yokemate1567

partner1577

better halfa1586

twin1592

moiety1611

copemate1631

consort1634

half-marrow1637

matrimonya1640

helpmeet1661

other half1667

helpmate1715

spousie1735

life companion1763

worse half1783

life partner1809

domestic partner1815

ball and chain1921

lover1969

society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > marriage or wedlock > married person > married woman > [noun] > wife

wifeeOE

womanc1275

peerc1330

spousessc1384

ladyc1390

good lady1502

girl?a1513

spousage1513

little lady1523

the weaker vessel1526

companion1535

wedlock1566

Mrs1572

dame1574

rib?1590

feme1595

fathom1602

feme covert1602

shrew1606

wife of one's bosom1611

kickie-wickiea1616

heifer1616

sposa1624

bosom-partner1633

goodwife1654

little woman1715

squaw1767

the Mrs1821

missus1823

maw1826

lady wife1840

tart1864

mistress1873

mama1916

ball and chain1921

trouble and strife1929

old boot1958

1921 Collier's 25 June 24/3 He deliberately attempts to commit suicide by askin' me ‘How's the ball and chain?’ meanin' my wife.

1950 F. Brown Honeymoon in Hell in Galaxy Sci. Fiction Nov. 15 All of them are married except me. Why not send a man who's already got a ball and chain?

1988 Toronto Star (Nexis) 13 Feb. f1 Say, for example, your ball and chain is into fishing. Tomorrow morning, when the wife or husband isn't looking, arrange worms on their pillow in the form of a heart.

1999 S. Stewart Sharking ii. 34 You want fun and all you get is videos and take-away curries. Ave you got a ball n chain?

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2008; most recently modified version published online June 2022).

单词	ball and chain
释义	ball and chainn. Brit. /ˌbɔːl (ə)n(d) ˈtʃeɪn/, U.S. /ˌbɔl (ə)n ˈtʃeɪn/, /ˌbɑl (ə)n ˈtʃeɪn/ Forms: 1800s– ball and chain, 1900s– ball an' chain, 1900s– ball n chain. Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: ball n.¹, and conj.¹, chain n. Etymology: < ball n.¹ + and conj.¹ + chain n. Originally U.S. 1. A heavy metal ball secured by a chain to a person's leg to prevent escape or as a punishment. Cf. chain and ball at chain n. 2a. Now chiefly historical. ΘΚΠ society > authority > punishment > imprisonment > prison > [noun] > instruments of punishment in > ball and chain ball and chain1818 chain and ball1866 1818 J. M. Glassell Court Minutes 28 Apr. in Message from President U.S. (1819) 164 The court sentenced the prisoner to receive fifty stripes on his bare back, and be confined with a ball and chain, at hard labour. 1835 J. H. Ingraham South-West II. xxxviii. 189 The threat of the Calaboose, or the ‘ball and chain’. 1873 J. H. Beadle Undeveloped West vii. 132 Those who had fined and imprisoned culprits, or sent them to work with ball and chain. 1904 Brooklyn Daily Eagle 10 June 4 Tammany was..made work for him under ball and chain and in stripes. 1954 J. D. Horan Confederate Agent xxx. 275 The first time he had broken out with a Negro slave, and, using a plank to support his ball and chain, had swum the three miles to Logger Key. 1998 J. T. Power Lee's Miserables Prol. 8 Deserters who avoided a death penalty were given sentences ranging from three months' to five years' hard labor, most often with a ball and chain. 2. figurative. a. A restriction, a burden, esp. a financial one.In quots. 1855, 1865 as part of an extended metaphor. ΘΚΠ society > authority > subjection > restraint or restraining > restriction or limitation > [noun] > a) restriction(s) bandc1175 conditionc1380 restrictiona1450 within one's tether?1523 confine1548 confinement1649 ball and chain1855 control1920 the world > action or operation > difficulty > hindrance > types or manners of hindrance > [noun] > encumberment > burdensomeness > a burden burdenc971 chargec1300 packa1325 burnc1375 fardelc1380 weightc1380 carriagea1556 load1600 taxa1628 overpoise1697 dead weight1720 backload1725 millstone1787 tin kettle1796 nightmare-weight1847 ball and chain1855 1855 Defiance (Ohio) Democrat 10 Feb. Wives..are less eager to enjoy their independence than to assert it. They do not cast off altogether the ball and chain of their matrimonial bonds, but show themselves so restless, that they keep their legal guardians in a state of constant suspicion and anxiety. 1865 National Era 28 Aug. 138 We would as soon trust a young lamb to the tender mercies of a hungry wolf, as trust the rights of freemen to such hands. No! let them be bound hand and foot—let the Administration wear a ball and chain around its ankles. 1910 H. N. Casson Hist. Telephone v. 179 It was he who set the agents free from the ball-and-chain of royalties, allowing them to pay instead a percentage of gross receipts. 1950 E. Watkins Cautious Revol. xii. 220 £300 a year out of a possible £3,000 did not seem to them very much of a ball and chain. 1997 Independent (Nexis) 4 Mar. 6 Technology can be a ball and chain. Some investment bankers are encouraged to check their voice-mail and e-mail every six hours. b. slang (usually depreciative). A man's wife or partner; (later also) a woman's husband or partner.Cf. quot. 1855 at sense 2a. ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > marriage or wedlock > married person > [noun] > spouse, consort, or partner ferec975 matchOE makec1175 spousea1200 lemanc1275 fellowc1350 likea1393 wed-ferea1400 partyc1443 espouse?c1450 bedfellow1490 yokefellow?1542 espousal1543 spouse1548 mate1549 marrow1554 paragon1557 yokemate1567 partner1577 better halfa1586 twin1592 moiety1611 copemate1631 consort1634 half-marrow1637 matrimonya1640 helpmeet1661 other half1667 helpmate1715 spousie1735 life companion1763 worse half1783 life partner1809 domestic partner1815 ball and chain1921 lover1969 society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > marriage or wedlock > married person > married woman > [noun] > wife wifeeOE womanc1275 peerc1330 spousessc1384 ladyc1390 good lady1502 girl?a1513 spousage1513 little lady1523 the weaker vessel1526 companion1535 wedlock1566 Mrs1572 dame1574 rib?1590 feme1595 fathom1602 feme covert1602 shrew1606 wife of one's bosom1611 kickie-wickiea1616 heifer1616 sposa1624 bosom-partner1633 goodwife1654 little woman1715 squaw1767 the Mrs1821 missus1823 maw1826 lady wife1840 tart1864 mistress1873 mama1916 ball and chain1921 trouble and strife1929 old boot1958 1921 Collier's 25 June 24/3 He deliberately attempts to commit suicide by askin' me ‘How's the ball and chain?’ meanin' my wife. 1950 F. Brown Honeymoon in Hell in Galaxy Sci. Fiction Nov. 15 All of them are married except me. Why not send a man who's already got a ball and chain? 1988 Toronto Star (Nexis) 13 Feb. f1 Say, for example, your ball and chain is into fishing. Tomorrow morning, when the wife or husband isn't looking, arrange worms on their pillow in the form of a heart. 1999 S. Stewart Sharking ii. 34 You want fun and all you get is videos and take-away curries. Ave you got a ball n chain? This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2008; most recently modified version published online June 2022). < n.1818
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