| 词汇 | the thin end of the wedge |
| 释义 | Idiom the thin end of the wedge British & Australian the start of a harmful development.There are those who see the closure of the hospital as the thin end of the wedge. the thin end of the wedgeThe inconspicuous beginning or initial stage of something that will be unfavorable, cause problems, or bring decline. Primarily heard in UK, Australia. This law is the thin edge of the wedge. If it's passed, you can expect more extreme legislation to follow. the thin end of the wedgeBRITISHThe thin end of the wedge is the beginning of something bad which seems harmless or unimportant at present but is likely to become much worse in the future. I think it's the thin end of the wedge when you have armed police permanently on patrol round a city. This decision could prove to be the thin end of the wedge towards making the 1.68 inch ball the legal ball the world over. the thin end of the wedgean action or procedure of little importance in itself, but which is likely to lead to more serious developments. informalthe thin ˌend of the ˈwedge(especially British English) used for saying that you fear that one small request, order, action, etc. is only the beginning of something larger and more serious or harmful: The government says it only wants to privatize one or two railway lines, but I think it’s the thin end of the wedge. They’ll all be privatized soon.A wedge is a piece of wood, metal, etc. with one thick end and one thin pointed end that you use to keep two things apart or to split wood or rock. |
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