| 单词 | to know a hawk from a hernshaw |
| 释义 | > as lemmasto know a hawk from a hernshaw to know a hawk from a hernshaw and variants: to have good sense or discernment. Now archaic or historical. [A conjectural emendation of the phrase to know a hawk from a handsaw in Shakespeare's Hamlet (see quot. 1604 at handsaw n. Phrases), proposed by Thomas Hanmer (see quot. 1744). N.E.D. (1898) suggests that Hanmer, ‘being a Suffolk man, founded this on the East Anglian dialectal harnsey , harnsa , harnser ’ (compare the β. forms, and also the δ. forms). See further discussion at handsaw n. Phrases.] ΚΠ 1744 Shakespeare's Hamlet ii. vi, in T. Hanmer Wks. Shakespear VI. 361 When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a hernshaw. 1766 T. Pennant Brit. Zool. ii. 116 Not to know the Hawk from the Heronshaw was an old proverb, taken originally from this diversion [sc. heron-hawking]; but in course of time served to express great ignorance in any science. 1838 T. P. Thompson Exercises (1842) IV. 315 What claim I have to your attention as one that knows a hawk from a herring-sue, it is for yourselves to settle. 1865 T. Carlyle Hist. Friedrich II of Prussia VI. xxi. v. 561 The clever Elliot, who knew a hawk from a hernshaw, never floundered into that platitude. 1916 D. G. Dery Under Big Dipper xvii. 225 But if she is all you describe her to be, she knows a hawk from a hernshaw. 1978 Jrnl. Amer. Oriental Soc. 98 172 Even urbanized twentieth century scholars who study medieval poetry need to be able to tell a hawk from a hernshaw. 1999 Irish Times (Nexis) 15 May 26 The man who couldn't tell a hawk from a hanser or a heronshaw was unable to distinguish between a hawk and its prey. < as lemmas |
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