词汇 | pen |
释义 | pen Theme: JAIL n. a penitentiary; prison. (Underworld.)Max got sent to the pen for fifteen years.After a few years in the pen, he began to appreciate freedom. pen Ⅰ noun 1 a jail or prison. Shortened from 'penitentiary.' US, 1884. 2 a detention or holding room at a jail or courthouse US, 1979 Ⅱ ⇨ pen and ink; pen 1. noun 1 a noisome smell; a stink. Rhyming slang UK, 1859. 2 a mink as an item of wardrobe. Rhyming slang UK, 1956. 3 a drink. Rhyming slang NEW ZEALAND, 1963 2. verb 1 to smell rank; to stink. Rhyming slang UK, 1977. 2 to drink AUSTRALIA, 1983 pen in 1. feel penned in if you feel penned in, you feel that you are too limited by the situation that you are in, and cannot do what you want: Leonora was fed up with her life in England. She felt bored and penned in.■ SIMILAR TO: trapped, be hemmed in2. pen in sth/sb • pen sth/sb in usually passive to shut animals or people in an enclosed area so that they cannot escape: The sheep were penned in for the night.■ SIMILAR TO: pen up pen up pen up sth/sb • pen sb/sth up usually passive to shut animals or people in an enclosed area so that they cannot escape: He kept his victims penned up in his garage. The bull was dangerous and had to be penned up.■ SIMILAR TO: pen in poison pen1. adjective Spiteful, malicious, or defamatory in composition, as of a letter or other written work, generally sent anonymously and with the aim of damaging or destroying a person's, group's, or organization's reputation or happiness. Always used before a noun. Often hyphenated. After agreeing to defend the alleged mass-murderer, the public defendant began receiving a large number of poison-pen letters from around the city. We've had enough trouble getting this restaurant up and running without having a poison-pen review like that in the papers! 2. adjective Characterized by, typified by, or inclined toward the writing and sending of such letters or pieces of writing. Always used before a noun. Often hyphenated. The outspoken feminist figure has been the target of a hateful poison-pen campaign by online misogynists who have hidden behind the shield of anonymity to conduct their attacks. 3. noun A disposition, attitude, inclination, or ability typified by the writing and sending such letters or pieces of writing. Every year or so, there is a new piece of diatribe and vitriol from the poison pen of the infamous white supremacist. The poison pen of the oft-feared but well-respected critic has been enough to cause the downfall of more than one virtuoso's career. slip of the penAn unintentional mistake in one's writing, such as incorrect spelling, word choice, or meaning. Whoops, I meant to tell my mother that she was welcome to call over next Monday, but I actually wrote "next month" instead. Oh well, she'll understand that it was just a slip of the pen. Now take your time while writing these test essays—you don't want a few slips of the pen to be the reason you get a lower grade! pen pusherOne who has a boring, meaningless office job. Primarily heard in UK, Australia. Gary was tired of being a pen pusher, so he decided to quit and start his own business. poison-pen letterA letter that contains malicious statements or accusations about the recipient or another party. Shortly after announcing his candidacy, he received an anonymous poison-pen letter attacking his platform. put pen to paper1. To write or begin to write something, especially on paper. My first advice to anyone struggling with their emotions is to keep a small journal and put pen to paper as often as possible. Writers from across the country have been putting pen to paper for the annual nonfiction festival. 2. To sign a contract. The football star has refused to put pen to paper until his pay exceeds that of his last contract. set pen to paperTo write or begin to write something, especially on paper. My first advice to anyone struggling with their emotions is to keep a small journal and set pen to paper as often as possible. Writers from across the country have been setting pen to paper for the annual nonfiction festival. slip of the lipAn unintentional mistake made while one is speaking, such as incorrect pronunciation, word choice, or meaning. The news anchor's innocent slip of the lip has gone viral, of course. the pen is mightier than the swordStrong, eloquent, or well-crafted speech or writing is more influential on a greater number of people than force or violence. Through his hugely popular online campaign, the writer has harnessed the voices of millions of people to have the government stop its violent intervention in the region, proving that the pen truly is mightier than the sword. dip (one's) pen in gallTo write something that conveys one's animosity, anger, or malice. The critic must have dipped his pen in gall before writing that very negative review. pen (someone or something) inTo contain or confine someone or something in a pen or something that functions like a pen. I managed to pen in the piglets before they got away. Just make sure the kids are penned in out back and let them play amongst themselves. pen upTo imprison or confine someone or an animal inside of a pen or a similarly small, restricted space. We pen these convicts up with other criminals for years at a time, and you expect them all to become reformed citizens as a result? The man had penned up dozens of wild animals in a disused corner of his company's warehouse. in the bullpen1. In the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a baseball game. Elliot is warming up in the bullpen right now, so he'll come in and try to hold this lead. 2. By extension, a team's relief pitchers taken collectively. OK, who do we have in the bullpen this season? 3. Ready and available to do something. Don't worry, I've got a few interns in the bullpen to help me with this. be in the bullpenTo be in the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a baseball game. Elliot's in the bullpen right now—he'll come in and try to hold this lead. never dip your pen into the company's inkvulgar slang Do not have a romantic or sexual relationship with someone you work with. "Pen" is a reference to one's penis. Do you really think it's a good idea to date your boss? I'm a big believer that you should never dip your pen into the company's ink. *in the bull pen1. Lit. [of a baseball pitcher to be] in a special place near the playing field, warming up to pitch. (*Typically: be ~; go [into] ~.) You can tell who is pitching next by seeing who is in the bull pen. Our best pitcher just went into the bull pen. He'll be pitching soon. 2. Fig. in reserve, ready if needed. I'm willing to be in the bull pen. Just call me if you need me. pen is mightier than the swordProv. Eloquent writing persuades people better than military force. Believing that the pen is mightier than the sword, the rebels began publishing an underground newspaper. Alan: Why do you want to become a journalist? Bill: The pen is mightier than the sword. pen (someone or an animal) in (some place)to confine someone or an animal in a pen. We penned all the kids in out in the backyard while we got the party things ready in the house. We had to pen in the kids to keep them away from the traffic. Alice penned her dog in. pen (someone or an animal) upto confine someone to a confined space or an animal to a pen. He said he didn't want them to pen him up in an office all day. They penned up the dog during the day. poison-pen letterA letter, usually anonymous, that makes malicious statements about the recipient or a third party. For example, She told the police about the poison-pen letters, but they said they couldn't pursue the matter . [Early 1900s] slip of the lipAlso, slip of the tongue or pen . An inadvertent mistake in speaking (or writing), as in It was just a slip of the lip that made me say the wrong name, or She didn't mean it; it was a slip of the tongue, or He intended to write "the honorable" but a slip of the pen turned it into "reverend." The usage with pen dates from the mid-1600s; the others are a century or so younger. a pen pushermainly BRITISH ora pencil pusherAMERICAN ora paper pusherCOMMON If you describe someone as a pen pusher or a pencil pusher, you mean that they have a boring office job and do not make any important decisions. People who used to be called administrators, and perhaps seen as just pen pushers, have been transformed into senior managers. Many of the men who now sit on company boards are pencil pushers with qualifications from top schools, but lack experience in business. Note: In both American and British English, you can also call someone a paper pusher. I didn't want to be just another faceless paper pusher. Note: You can refer to office work as pen-pushing, pencil-pushing, or paper-pushing. You can also say that office workers push papers or push pens. I want our police officers freed from paper-pushing. I'm very thankful that I can make a living from my art, rather than working as a waiter or pushing papers eight hours a day. a slip of the penA slip of the pen is something you wrote by mistake. The translator dated his letter `Plymouth 1 June 1618'. This is wrong, and probably a slip of the pen for 11 June. dip your pen in gallwrite unpleasantly or spitefully.Gall is another word for bile, the bitter secretion of the liver; it is used in many places in the Bible as a metaphor for bitterness or affliction. See also wormwood and gall (at wormwood). the pen is mightier than the swordwriting is more effective than military power or violence. proverbslip of the pen (or the tongue)a minor mistake in writing (or speech).The equivalent Latin phrases, lapsus calami and lapsus linguae , are also sometimes used in formal English. the ˌpen is ˌmightier than the ˈsword(saying) people who write books, poems, etc. have a greater effect on history and human affairs than soldiers and wars Mightier means ‘stronger’ or ‘more powerful’. put ˌpen to ˈpaper(formal) write or start to write something: He spent hours thinking about what he should write, and it was midnight before he finally put pen to paper.a ˌpoison ˈpen letteran unpleasant letter which is not signed and is intended to upset the person who receives it: Most politicians get poison pen letters, sometimes threatening their lives.a slip of the ˈtongue/ˈpena small mistake when speaking or writing: Did I say North Street? Sorry, that was a slip of the tongue — I meant South Street.pen inv. To confine someone or something in or as if in a pen: The farmer penned the pigs in for the night. If you don't pen in the chickens, the wolves will get them. pen n. a penitentiary; prison. (Underworld.) Bart got sent to the pen for fifteen years. pen is mightier than the sword, theWriting is more powerful and effective than fighting. This adage appeared as a proverb in 1571 (“No more sword to be feared than the learned pen”) and then took a slightly different form in Robert Burton’s The Anatomy of Melancholy (1621): “The pen is worse than the sword.” It has quite naturally appealed to writers ever since. Time magazine (1990) used “The Pen Is Mightier” as a headline for a piece announcing that Poland had a journalist as its new prime minister, Czechoslovakia a playwright as president, and Hungary an English translator as president. poison penA writer of a letter, usually anonymous, that is malicious and, sometimes libelous. It may attack either the recipient or a third party. The term, with its companion poison-pen letter, dates from the early 1900s. The poison is figurative, describing the scurrilous nature of the words. David Lodge used it in Changing Places (1975), “I’ve had what I believe is called a poison-pen letter from Euphoria, an anonymous letter.” |
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