| 单词 | tom cox's traverse |
| 释义 | > as lemmasTom Cox's traverse Tom Cox's traverse n. chiefly Nautical (now historical and rare) a circular route which ends back where it began, esp. when undertaken to give a false impression of purposeful activity; frequently in to work Tom Cox's traverse (and variants): to go round in a circle; (also) to pretend to be busy in order to evade real work. ΘΚΠ society > travel > travel by water > other nautical operations > [noun] > action of work-shy sailor Tom Cox's traverse1803 1803 Man in Moon 17 Dec. (1804) 86 At last, the player-men clewed up the mainsail, and begun a great deal of scrimidging, or fighting like Tom Cox's Traverse, up one hatchway and down another. 1836 Slavery in Amer. Aug. 48/2 I have been amused at the dexterity with which a real ‘man of war's man’ would evade duty on ship-board, in a dark night, by ‘coming up one hatch-way and going down another.’ The sailor's [sic] call it ‘working Tom Cox's traverse’. 1858 Adelaide Times 16 Feb. 3/3 The prisoners..received their allowance, but one of them ‘worked Tom Cox's traverse’, and presented himself at the capstan-head for a second glass. 1901 Austral. Town & Country Jrnl. (Sydney) 16 Feb. 40/2 What's the good of this lubber? It's about time we had a king who'd do something for his living, 'stead of always working Tom Cox's traverse. 1988 R. Woodman Baltic Mission (2000) iv. 53 They knew when to ‘lay Tom Cox's traverse’ and avoid work. < as lemmas |
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