Venture-capital firm Onset Ventures has a history of coming up with unusual Christmas cards. This year was no exception, with the firm debuting an essential "holiday catalog" for venture capitalists that lightly pokes fun at the woes besetting the venture industry amid 2009's Great Recession.
This, however, always provoked a fresh
flourish of a broom-stick or ladle, he wouldvolley from his wife; so that he was fain to draw off his forces, and take to the outside of the house the only side which, in truth, belongs to a hen-pecked husband. Rip's sole domestic adherent was his dog Wolf, who was as much hen-pecked as his master; for Dame Van Winkle regarded them as companions in idleness, and even looked upon Wolf with an evil eye, as the cause of his master's going so often astray. True it is, in all points of spirit befitting an honorable dog, he was as courageous an animal as ever scoured the woods but what courage can withstand the ever-during and all-besetting terrors of a woman's tongue? The moment Wolf entered the house his crest fell, his tail drooped to the ground, or curled between his legs, he sneaked about with a gallows air, casting many a sidelong glance at Dame Van Winkle, and at the least fly to the door with yelping precipitation.
"The same animal which hath the honour to have some part of his flesh eaten at the table of a duke, may perhaps be degraded in another part,and some of his limbs gibbeted, as it were, in the vilest stall in town."
--from "The History of Tom Jones" (1749) by Henry Fielding Gibbeting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibbeting
to lengthen an activity or combine a series of activities so that they last for the whole of that particular period of time: Let's make an evening of it and catch the last train home. We don't get out often so we thought we'd make a day of it.
gallows humour noun [U]
gallowsjokes or humorous remarks that are made about unpleasant or worrying subjects such as death and illness noun [C] plural gallows a wooden structure used, especially in the past, to hang criminals from as a form of execution (= killing as a punishment): New witnesses have cast doubt on some of the evidence that sent the 19 year old to the gallows. henpeck(hĕn'pĕk')tr.v. Informal., -pecked, -peck·ing, -pecks. To dominate or harass (one's husband) with persistent nagging. | |
Everduring | |
a.Everlasting. Shak.besetting(bĭ-sĕt'ĭng)adj. Constantly troubling or attacking. Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words. The adjective has 3 meanings: Meaning #1: (used especially of glances) directed to one side with or as if with doubt or suspicion or envy Synonyms: askance, askant, asquint, squint, squint-eyed, squinty Meaning #2: situated at or extending to the side Synonym: lateral Meaning #3: inclining or directed to one side The adverb sidelong has 3 meanings: Meaning #1: on the side Meaning #2: with the side toward someone or something Meaning #3: to toward or at one side Synonyms: sideways, obliquely flourish(flûr'ĭsh, flŭr'-)v., -ished, -ish·ing, -ish·es. v.intr.
To wield, wave, or exhibit dramatically. n.
[Middle English florishen, from Old French florir, floriss-, from Vulgar Latin *flōrīre, from Latin flōrēre, to bloom, from flōs, flōr-, flower.]
flourisher flour'ish·er n.
SYNONYMS flourish, brandish, wave. These verbs mean to swing back and forth boldly and dramatically: flourished her newly signed contract; brandish a sword; waving a baton.
noun [C] plural gallows a wooden structure used, especially in the past, to hang criminals from as a form of execution (= killing as a punishment): New witnesses have cast doubt on some of the evidence that sent the 19 year old to the gallows. |
Notes of a word-watcher, Hanching Chung. A first port of call for English learning.
2016年2月28日 星期日
gibbete, henpeck, everduring, besetting, sidelong, flourish, gallows humour, make a day/night/evening/weekend of it
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