heartless, snippy, humdinger, dinger, ringdinger, retort, repertory theater

Q. Was it your decision to dispense with Sybil and Matthew in the same season?
A. No. You see, in America, it's quite standard for an actor to sign, at the beginning of a series, for five or seven years. The maximum any British agent will allow you to have over an actor is three years. And Jessica and Dan wanted to go. The show had been very, very successful, tremendously so, and they were being offered great opportunities. Don't think I'm saying it critically - I don't blame them at all. I can remember when I was a young actor, and I just had this feeling it was time to go to London. I was doing repertory theater in the country, and I resigned halfway through the season. Of course, all my friends and my parents thought I was completely mad. I went up to London and I got a job in a West End show with Hayley Mills. I reminded myself of that when Jessica and Dan said they wanted to go. I thought, "Well, you can't be that snippy because on a scaled-down version, that's exactly what you did."

repertory theater

 

音節

répertory thèater ［còmpany］

レパートリー劇団：劇・オペラなどを定期的に次々に上演する.

snippy
(snĭp'ē)
adj. Informal, -pi·er, -pi·est.

1. Sharp-tongued; impertinent: shocked by his snippy retort.
2. Occurring in pieces; fragmentary.

[形]（-pi・er, -pi・est）

1 ((米略式))ぶっきらぼうな.

2 断片的な.

-pi・ly

[副]

humdinger= dinger

 (hŭm'dĭng'ər)
n. Slang
One that is extraordinary or remarkable: a humdinger of a blizzard.

[Origin unknown.]

"Don't know any," William replied, coldly.
"Dull times, ain't it?" said Mr. Watson, a little depressed by his friend's manner. "I heard May Parcher was comin' back to town yesterday, though."
"Well, let her!" returned William, still severe.
"They said she was goin' to bring a girl to visit her," Johnnie began in a confidential tone. "They said she was a reg'lar ringdinger and—"很漂亮的美人兒
"Well, what if she is?" the discouraging Mr. Baxter interrupted. "Makes little difference to ME, I guess!"
"Oh no, it don't. YOU don't take any interest in girls! OH no!"
"No, I do not!" was the emphatic and heartless retort. "I never saw one in my life I'd care whether she lived or died!"



Tomi and Sukichi, played by Ozu regulars Chiyeko Higashiyama and Chishu Ryu, are an elderly couple who make the arduous journey to Tokyo to visit their heartless grown-up children, only to discover that they are just too busy with their professional lives and young families to find any time for them.

heartless

  音節

heart • less

発音

hɑ'ːrtlis

[形]無情［無慈悲］な, つれない, 残酷な, 冷酷な.

heart・less・ly

[副]

heart・less・ness

[名]
retort
verb [T]
to answer someone quickly in an angry or funny way:
[+ speech] "That doesn't concern you!" she retorted.

retort
noun [C]
a quick answer that is angry or funny:
"I'm going to tell him, " said Max. "Just you try!" came the retort.
retort
(rĭ-tôrt')

v., -tort·ed, -tort·ing, -torts.
v.tr.

1. 1. To reply, especially to answer in a quick, caustic, or witty manner. See synonyms at answer.
   2. To present a counterargument to.
2. To return in kind; pay back.

v.intr.

1. To make a reply, especially a quick, caustic, or witty one.
2. To present a counterargument.
3. To return like for like; retaliate.

n.

1. A quick incisive reply, especially one that turns the first speaker's words to his or her own disadvantage.
2. The act or an instance of retorting.

[Latin retorquēre, retort-, to bend back, retort : re-, re- + torquēre, to bend, twist.]

retorter re·tort'er n.

re·tort² (rĭ-tôrt', rē'tôrt')
n.
A closed laboratory vessel with an outlet tube, used for distillation, sublimation, or decomposition by heat.

[French retorte, from Medieval Latin retorta, from feminine of Latin retortus, past participle of retorquēre, to bend back. See retort¹.]