| 词汇 | down and out |
| 释义 | Idiom down and out British & Australian, American someone who has no home, no job and no money.I just assumed he was a down and out, begging on the street corner.She was one of the many down-and-outers waiting for the soup kitchen to open. down and out adjective homeless; without money US, 1901down and outDestitute or otherwise devoid of any resources. Primarily heard in US. Many of these homeless people have been down and out for years, with no prospects of finding work or permanent shelter. down and outLacking funds or prospects; destitute, penniless. For example, After losing his job, car, and home, he was completely down and out. This term probably originated in boxing, where it alludes to the fighter who is knocked down and stays down for a given time, thereby losing the bout. [c. 1900] Also see down for the count. down and outCOMMON 1. If someone is down and out, they have nowhere to live, usually have no job, and have no real hope of improving their situation. Having been down and out himself, Vern Barry has insights into others who are down and out, and he's helped many move on to permanent jobs. I know what it is to be down and out. One time back in the thirties, I was working in New York and I didn't have enough to rent a room. Note: You can call a person in this situation a down-and-out. In the glow of the side lights, he looked unshaven, shabby, a down-and-out. 2. In a competition or contest, if someone is down and out, they have been beaten, or they are losing and have no hope of winning. I am sending you clippings from which you will see that Ted appears to be down and out as candidate for governor. Leicester had looked down and out when they trailed 12-3 with only 12 minutes left. Note: You can say that someone is down but not out when they are losing but still have some hope of winning. Rangers manager Walter Smith last night declared his side down but not out of the European Cup after their defeat by AEK in Athens. The Democrats are down, but not out. Note: If boxers are down and out, they have been knocked down and have failed to get up before the referee counted to ten, and have therefore lost the contest. down and outbeaten in the struggle of life; completely without resources or means of livelihood.The phrase down and out comes from boxing, and refers to a boxer who is knocked out by a blow. Since the early 20th century the noun down-and-out has been used to describe a person without money, a job, or a place to live. ˌdown and ˈouthaving no home or job and living on the streets of a city; very poor: It must be terrible to be down and out in this cold weather. ▶ ˌdown-and-ˈout noun a person who is down and out : Life is hard for the city’s down-and-outs.down and outAt the end of one’s resources, destitute. The term is believed to be an American colloquialism that comes from boxing, where a fighter who is knocked down and stays down for a given time is judged the loser of the bout. O. Henry transferred it to a more general sort of loser in No Story (1909): “I’m the janitor and corresponding secretary of the Down-and-Out Club.” The English writer George Orwell used it as a title, Down and Out in Paris and London (1933), for a book about his experiences of poverty in those cities. The actor Orson Welles quipped, “When you are down and out something always turns up—and it is usually the noses of your friends” (New York Times, April 1, 1962). |
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