| 单词 | to take the gilt off the gingerbread |
| 释义 | > as lemmasto take the gilt off the gingerbread to take the gilt off the gingerbread and variants: to make something less attractive or appealing; to rob something of its full allure.In allusion to the practice of decorating gingerbread with gilt (see gingerbread n. 2).In quot. 1820 showing similar use of gold n.1 ΚΠ 1820 J. Clare Let. c10 July (1985) 84 T. would not be offended to find me vext..at the omissions he k[nows]..him self in so doing the gold is licked off the gingerbread.] 1837 C. Sinclair Mod. Society x. 176 If you only say the word, we shall soon take the gilt off the gingerbread,—you guess what I mean. 1861 Bell's Life in London 8 Sept. 4/6 A further deduction of £20..removed a considerable portion of the gilt from the gingerbread. 1884 Pall Mall Gaz. 9 Sept. 3/2 By the time the Germans have undertaken one or two of those punitive police expeditions..a good deal of gilt will be rubbed off the gingerbread with which they are at present so overjoyed. 1922 A. J. Evans Escaping Club 242 Though I was very pleased with my command, the fact that I had to deal in bombs and not wireless rather took the gilt off the gingerbread. 2008 Austral. Financial Rev. (Nexis) 27 Sept. (Perspective section) 33 I'm well content with my life, but the pain takes the gilt off the gingerbread. < as lemmas |
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