| 单词 | to whip the devil round the stump |
| 释义 | > as lemmasto whip the devil round the stump (also post) p. Chiefly North American. to whip the devil round the stump (also post) and variants: to avoid something difficult, esp. by some form of subterfuge or immoral behaviour; to avoid mentioning something difficult or coming to the point (cf. to beat about the bush at bush n.1 1b). Now rare (only in historical contexts). ΘΚΠ society > morality > duty or obligation > moral or legal constraint > immunity or exemption from liability > excuse > make excuses [verb (intransitive)] cause1590 apologize1609 to whip the devil round the stump (also post)1776 1776 L. Carter Diary 27 Apr. (1965) II. 1028 The subject matter so evidently shewed it was to D., that it was only an artifice to whip the devil round the stump. 1798 W. Cobbett Porcupine's Gaz. June in Porcupine's Wks. (1801) VII. 248 The House of Representatives sit debating, hesitating, shilly-shally, whipping the devil round the post. 1816 M. L. Weems Life Gen. F. Marion (ed. 4) 162 The rogues were drinking brandy all the time; but, by way of whipping the devil round the stump, they called it water; that is, apple water. 1841 Congr. Globe 7 July 132/3 Many men in the State Legislatures..have run their constituents so deeply in debt, that now they want to whip the devil around the stump, and get somebody else to tax them. 1885 W. D. Howells in Cent. Mag. July 372/2 If you think I'm going to help you whip the devil round the stump, you're mistaken in your man. 1903 Deb. House of Commons (Canada) 13 Aug. 8704/2 That is a very difficult undertaking, for we know how railway companies and contractors whip the devil around the post, to use a popular expression. 2015 J. Kincaid Lumberjack's Bride iv. 44 He should have simply said good-night and gone to bed. Never one to beat the devil around the stump he continued. ‘I'll start.’ < as lemmas |
| 随便看 |
英语词典包含1132095条英英释义在线翻译词条，基本涵盖了全部常用单词的英英翻译及用法，是英语学习的有利工具。