| 释义 |
dribs and drabs
dribs and drabs (drɪbz) pl nsmall sporadic amountsdribs′ and drabs′
n.pl. small and usu. irregular amounts. dribs and drabs - First recorded in the 19th century; both of the words mean "small quantity or amount," making this an emphatic phrase.See also related terms for small quantity.Translationsdribs and drabs
dribs and drabsInsignificant, skimpy, and/or piecemeal amounts. A: "Have you been able to get any work lately?" B: "Just some dribs and drabs to keep me ticking along, but nothing substantial."See also: and, drab, dribdribs and drabsBits and pieces, negligible amounts, as in There's not much left, just some dribs and drabs of samples. The noun drib is thought to be a shortening of driblet, for "drop" or "tiny quantity," dating from the early 1700s, whereas drab meaning "a small sum of money" dates from the early 1800s. See also: and, drab, dribdribs and drabsSmall quantities. This phrase, dating from the early nineteenth century, consists of nouns that rarely appear elsewhere. Drib, originating in the early 1700s, probably alludes to “dribble” or “trickle”; drab has meant a petty sum of money since the early 1800s.See also: and, drab, drib |