| 单词 | to sell down the river |
| 释义 | > as lemmasto sell (a person) down the river b. to sell (a person) down the river. extracted from rivern.1 (a) U.S. To sell (a slave), esp. one regarded as a troublemaker, to a plantation on the lower Mississippi, typically regarded as providing the harshest conditions for labour; (also occasionally in extended use) to deliver (oneself) into servitude or subjugation. Now historical except in extended use. ΘΚΠ society > authority > subjection > slavery or bondage > be slave of [verb (transitive)] > enslave > sell into slavery sella1000 to sell (a person) down the river1836 1836 Afr. Repository & Colonial Jrnl. Oct. 321 Suppose it be enacted that after the year 1840 slavery shall cease to exist in Kentucky. What would follow? All who chose would sell their slaves down the river; the benevolent would free them, and send them away, or let them remain, as they thought best. 1839 Liberator (Boston) 26 Apr. 68/5 His father had been sold down the river some seven months ago, since which time he had not been heard from. 1851 H. B. Stowe Uncle Tom's Cabin in National Era 14 Aug. 1/2 I've had one or two of these fellers, and I jest sold 'em down river. 1894 ‘M. Twain’ Pudd'nhead Wilson ix. 113 Ole Marse Driscoll 'll sell you down de river. 1927 P. G. Wodehouse Small Bachelor i. 21 When Sigsbee Waddington married for the second time, he to all intents and purposes sold himself down the river. 1936 M. Mitchell Gone with the Wind xxii. 373 You'll go or I'll sell you down the river. You'll never see your mother again or anybody you know and I'll sell you for a field hand too. 2005 S. Deyle Carry me Back vii. 245 Initially, they referred to the wonderful life that a slave longed to return to after being sold down the river in the domestic trade. (b) colloquial (originally U.S.). To betray, esp. for one's own benefit. ΘΚΠ society > morality > duty or obligation > recognition of duty > undutifulness > betrayal > betray [verb (transitive)] sellc950 forredea1000 belewec1000 trechec1230 betrayc1275 trayc1275 wrayc1275 traise1320 trechetc1330 betradec1375 betraisec1386 bewray1535 betrantc1540 boil1602 reveal1640 peacha1689 bridge1819 to go back on (also upon)1859 to sell (a person) down the river1921 1921 E. Davis Hist. N.Y. Times 1851–1921 i. v. 170 Its editors were chiefly concerned to prevent it from being ‘sold down the river’. 1941 W. H. Auden New Year Let. ii. 44 ‘I'll fix you something for your liver’; And thus he sells us down the river. 1951 Record Changer Nov. 7/1 At the very least, Columbia is apt to feel it has been sold down the river. 1958 H. M. Hayward & M. Harari tr. B. Pasternak Dr. Zhivago vi. 155 It's my considered opinion, Yurochka, we've been sold down the river. 1976 Southern Evening Echo (Southampton) 16 Nov. 3/3 Some aspects of Britain's education system needed to be put right but ‘we should not sell it down the river’ Education Secretary Mrs. Shirley Williams said last night. 2004 On Earth Fall 35/1 There is no one over here saying that the son of a gun sold us down the river. < as lemmas |
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