| 单词 | on one's last legs |
| 释义 | > as lemmason (also †upon) one's last legs c. on (also †upon) one's last legs. Formerly also †to one's last legs, †near one's last legs (obsolete). extracted from legn. (a) At or near the end of one's life; close to death.In quot. 1614 as part of an extended metaphor. ΘΚΠ the world > life > death > [noun] > point of death's gateOE the gate(s of death1340 lasta1382 (in) the article (formerly also articles) of death1483 death's door1515 the valley of the shadow of death1535 (one's) last gasp1564 death door1601 extremity1602 on one's last legs1614 verge1750 the Great (Continental) Divide1908 the world > life > death > dead person or the dead > [adjective] > dying deadlyc893 swelting?a1400 dyingc1450 at (the) utterance1525 in (the, his) extremes1551 parting1562 Acherontic1597 ending1600 departing1603 on one's last legs1614 expiring1635 mortifying1649 morient1679 upon one's last stretch1680 gasping1681 à la mort1700 moribund1721 outward-bound1809 terminal1854 on the brink of the grave1872 defunctive1929 1614 I. T. Horrible Creuel & Bloudy Murther sig. A4 The doating World limping on hir last legges. a1627 T. Middleton & W. Rowley Old Law (1656) v. 59 Eug. My husband goes upon his last houre now. 1. Cour. On his last legs I am sure. 1671 J. Dryden Evening's Love ii. 25 He had brought me to my last legs. 1764 S. Foote Mayor of Garret ii. 43 You was pretty near your last legs. 1798 C. Stearns Maid of Groves ii. iv. 207 Fayther's on his last legs—He has had another right snap of the gout. 1870 L. M. Alcott Let. 11 Aug. in E. D. Cheney L. M. Alcott (1889) ix. 245 The Emperor is on his last legs in every way. He is sick..and so nervous he can't command the army as he wanted to. 1974 W. Foley Child in Forest 73 'Im do only come to see if I be on me last legs. 2005 B. Keating & S. Keating Blood Sisters (2006) xxvii. 514 He's in hospital in Nairobi. On his last legs, poor man. (b) figurative. On the brink of ruin or collapse; almost completely worn out or spent as a force. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > adversity > [noun] > tribulation, trouble, or affliction > having no resources left > at the end of resources on one's last legs1678 1678 J. Ray Coll. Eng. Prov. (ed. 2) 89 A Bankrupt... He goes on's last legs. 1753 Pædo-baptism ii. 37 As his conclusion is now come to it's last legs; so it will be hard set, to maintain it's ground. 1846 T. De Quincey Syst. Heavens in Tait's Edinb. Mag. Sept. 569/1 If the Earth were on her last legs. 1895 Sunday Herald (Syracuse, N.Y.) 13 Jan. 11/5 Members wish to refute the assertions..that Hayes council ‘is on its last legs’. Never in the history of the council was it in better shape. 1952 Good Housek. (U.S. ed.) Dec. 102/2 All her sheets and pillowcases were on their last legs, and most of the New York stores were having August White Sales. 2003 B. Trapido Frankie & Stankie vii. 138 The green buses are always on their last legs, belching out streams of black smoke and overloaded with downtown workers. < as lemmas |
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