| 单词 | to pull the devil by the tail |
| 释义 | > as lemmasto pull the devil by the tail o. colloquial. to pull the devil by the tail: to be in difficulties or reduced circumstances; (also) to be just getting by; to be doing reasonably well. In later use esp. Irish English. [Compare French tirer le diable par la queue (1640 or earlier).] ΚΠ 1788 F. Grose Dict. Vulgar Tongue (ed. 2) at Devil To pull the Devil by the tail, to be reduced to one's shifts. a1832 J. Bentham Wks. (1843) X. 25/2 So fond of spending his money on antiquities, that he was always pulling the devil by the tail. 1899 Freeman's Jrnl. (Dublin) 2 Oct. 6/9 If the Irish farmers are content to drag along with their present rents.., they are quite welcome to go on pulling the devil by the tail. 1919 G. B. Shaw Heartbreak House i, in Heartbreak House, Great Catherine, & Playlets of War 15 Poor Ellie! I know. Pulling the devil by the tail. 1968 T. Kilroy Death & Resurrection Mr Roche (1969) 53 Still alive. Just pulling the devil by the tail. 1979 ‘H. Leonard’ Summer in Sel. Plays (1992) 282 Richard. Need we ask how's business? Stormy. Divil by the tail. You? 2014 C. Tóibín Nora Webster xii. 161 ‘And how are they all in Cush?’ Nora asked. ‘Pulling the devil by the tail, the few that are left,’ Tom said. < as lemmas |
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