| 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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