词汇 | braced |
释义 | (redirected from braced)in a brace of shakesInstantly, quickly, or in an extremely short amount of time, as of a task or event. "Brace," taken from the old French for the arms' breadth from hand to hand, means twice; the phrase as a whole refers either to an old nautical term, meaning the time it takes the sail to shake twice as it takes up the wind, or else the short time it takes to shake a dice-box twice. I'll have that ready for you in a brace of shakes. We'll be there in a brace of shakes. splice the mainbracenautical To issue and partake in an extra ration of alcoholic spirits, especially rum or grog, amongst members of crew aboard a sea vessel. (The mainbrace, also spelled "main brace," is a brace attached to the main yard on sailing ships. "Splicing the mainbrace" was originally the very difficult job of repairing this brace, one which earned the repairman an extra ration of spirits; eventually, this euphemistic secondary meaning became the primary one.) As part of the celebrations for her Diamond Jubilee, the Queen gave the order to all in the Royal Navy to splice the mainbrace as a gesture of good cheer. brace of shakesInstantly, quickly, or in an extremely short amount of time, as of a task or event. "Brace," taken from the old French for the arms' breadth from hand to hand, means twice; the phrase as a whole refers either to an old nautical term, meaning the time it takes the sail to shake twice as it takes up the wind, or else the short time it takes to shake a dice-box twice. Often used in the phrase "in a brace of shakes." I'll have that ready for you in a brace of shakes. We'll be there in a brace of shakes. belt and bracesA multipronged, perhaps excessively cautious, approach to try to ensure a particular outcome. Primarily heard in UK. Even though I'd set the alarm clock in my room, I still asked the front desk for a wake-up call. I felt I had to go belt and braces to ensure that I'm not late for the big meeting tomorrow morning. brace (oneself) for (something)To physically or mentally prepare oneself for something, typically something that is imminent, in an attempt to limit any adverse impact. I braced myself for that big bump by holding onto the seat in front of me. I had braced myself for rejection, so hearing that I'd gotten the promotion was a very pleasant surprise! brace up1. To physically support, bolster , or reinforce someone or something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "brace" and "up." That picture frame is broken, so I braced it up with a candle to keep it from falling over. 2. To physically or mentally prepare oneself, someone, or something for something, typically something that is imminent, in an attempt to limit any adverse impact. A noun or pronoun can be used between "brace" and "up." I braced myself up for that big bump by holding onto the seat in front of me. I had braced myself up for rejection, so hearing that I'd gotten the promotion was a very pleasant surprise! brace oneself for something1. Lit. to hang onto something or prop oneself against something in preparation for something that might cause one to fall, blow away, wash away, etc. Hold onto the rail. Brace yourself. Here comes another huge wave. 2. Fig. to prepare for the shock or force of something. Brace yourself for a shock. As the boat leaned to the right, I braced myself for whatever might happen next. brace someone or something upto prop up or add support to someone or something. They braced the tree up for the expected windstorm. They braced up the tree again after the storm. brace upto take heart; to be brave. Brace up! Things could be worse. I told John to brace up because things would probably get worse before they got better. brace upAlso, brace oneself. Summon up one's courage or resolve, as in Brace up, we don't have much farther to go, or Squaring his shoulders, he braced himself for the next wave. This idiom uses brace in the sense of "to bolster" or "to strengthen." The first term dates from the early 1700s, the variant from about 1500. belt and bracesBRITISHIf someone has a belt and braces approach to doing something, they take extra precautions to make sure that it will work properly. A trawl of the computer system should reveal if customers were charged too much. `It's a belt and braces approach to check for irregularities,' said the bank. He described airport security as an overly belt and braces approach, at huge cost to industry. Note: Trousers that are held up by a belt as well as a pair of braces (= two straps over the shoulder) are less likely to fall down. belt and braces(of a policy or action) providing double security by using two means to achieve the same end. BritishThis meaning developed from the idea of a literal belt and braces holding up a pair of loose-fitting trousers. 2002 Digital Photography Made Easy Oddly, the manual is also on CD, which seems a bit belt and braces (though useful if you lose the original). splice the main brace1 (in the Royal Navy) serve out an extra tot of rum. 2 serve out or start to consume alcoholic drinks. British informalA sailing ship's main brace is a rope attached to its main spar. Splicing it (making a connection in it by interweaving strands) would have been a particularly onerous task, and the phrase probably arose from the custom of awarding sailors who did it an extra ration of rum. brace upv. 1. To provide something or someone with additional support; prop up someone or something: We used plywood to brace up the wall paneling. The old tower would have fallen down if we hadn't braced it up. 2. To prepare or strengthen someone or something to face some challenge: We braced up the car for the road race. They gave me some encouraging words to brace me up for the interview. I'm glad you were braced up for your exams. 3. To summon one's strength or endurance; prepare to face a challenge: I spent all day bracing up for my performance in the concert that evening. |
随便看 |
|
青年旅行网英语在线翻译词典收录了440382条英语词汇在线翻译词条,基本涵盖了全部常用英语词汇的中英文双语翻译及用法,是英语学习的有利工具。