| 释义 |
▪ I. ding-dong, adv., n. and a.|ˈdɪŋˈdɒŋ|
[Echoic.]
A. adv., or without grammatical construction.
1. An imitation of the sound of a bell.
c1560T. Rychardes Misogonus in Collier Hist. Dram. Poetry (1879) II. 376 [In the midst of his play he hears the] ‘saunce bell goe ding dong’. 1610Shakes. Temp. i. ii. 403 Full fadom fiue thy Father lies..Sea-Nimphs hourly ring his knell. (Burthen: ding dong) Harke now I heare them, ding-dong bell. 1675Dryden Mistaken Husb. i. ii, The Gold in his Pocket Chimes ding dong. 1844Dickens Christmas Carol v, Clash, clang, hammer; ding, dong, bell. Bell, dong, ding. a1882Rossetti Wks. (1890) II. 343 And bells say ding to bells that answer dong.
2. ‘Hammering away’ at a subject; in good earnest, with a will.
1672R. Wild Poet Licen. 29 Their learned men will write Ding-dong. 1680Otway Caius Marius iii. ii, They are at it ding dong. 1719D'Urfey Pills (1872) VI. 361 We rallied the Church militant, And fell to work ding-dong, Sir. 1825Miss Mitford in L'Estrange Life (1870) II. 207, I shall set to work at the ‘Heiress’ ding-dong. 1888Elworthy W. Somerset Word-bk., Ding-dong, in good earnest, with a will..We in to it ding-dong, hammer and tongs.
B. n.
1. a. The sound of a bell, a repeated ringing sound; a jingle of rime in verse or song; also a bell or other instrument that makes a ringing sound.
c1560T. Rychardes Misogonus in Collier Hist. Dram. Poetry (1879) II. 375 [The old gentleman pulls the points off his own hose to give them as a reward to Cacurgus, who calls them ‘ding-dongs’, and rejoices that some of them have ‘golden noses’.] 1611Cotgr., Dindan, the ding-dong, or ringing out of bells. 1709Brit. Apollo II. No. 70. 3/2 Her Sing-Songs..sound as well as Country Ding-Dongs. a1845Hood Pair'd not Match'd ix, If the bell Would ring her knell, I'd make a gay ding-dong of it. 1854Emerson Lett. & Soc. Aims, Poet. & Imag. Wks. (Bohn) III. 158 Who would hold the order of the almanac so fast but for the ding-dong, ‘Thirty days hath September, etc.’? Ibid. 160 They do not longer value rattles and ding-dongs, or barbaric word-jingle.
b. fig. Esp. (a) a heated argument; a quarrel; ‘cut and thrust’; (b) a tumultuous party or gathering. colloq.
1922Joyce Ulysses 266 Yes, she was back. To the old dingdong again. 1928Manch. Guardian Weekly 19 Oct. 301/1 Accustomed to cut a good figure in the ding-dong of public argument. 1933H. Belloc Charles I 351 A ding-dong of assertion and counter-assertion. 1935G. Ingram Cockney Cavalcade ix. 142 I've been having a ding-dong with my old man. 1936N. Coward Hands across Sea in To-Night at 8.30 II. 18 Are you going to Nina's Indian ding-dong? 1956‘J. Wyndham’ Seeds of Time 84 You can't have a proper ding-dong with those quiet ones. 1961Ashley Smith East-Enders vi. 93 The sons and daughters..coming up for a ding-dong which went on till far into the night.
2. Horology. An arrangement for indicating the quarters of the hour by the striking of two bells of different tones. Also attrib.
1822Scott Nigel i, O! St. Dunstan has caught his eye..he stands astonished as old Adam and Eve ply their ding-dong. 1860E. B. Denison Clocks & Watches (1867) 170 When there are more than 2 bells the hammers are worked by a chime barrel, because the chimes are not generally the same thing repeated, as they are with ding dong quarters. Ibid. 171 This may be..made to indicate half quarters..at about 50 min. past the hour..the clock would strike 3 ding dongs and one bell more.
3. A term of endearment; = ding-ding, q.v.
C. adj. (attrib. use.)
1. Of or pertaining to the sound of bells or the jingle of rime.
ding-dong theory, in Science of Lang., a humorous name for the theory which refers the primitive elements of language to phonetic expression naturally given to a conception as it thrilled for the first time through the brain, the utterance thus called forth being compared to the sound naturally emitted by a sonorous body when struck.
1792Southey Lett. (1856) I. 9 You complain of the bells at Portslade, dingdong spot. 1820― Devil's Walk 39 In ding dong chime of sing-song rhyme. 1872A. J. Ellis Presid. Addr. to Philol. Soc. 10 Take the three principal theories, irreverently termed Pooh-pooh! Bow-wow! and Ding-dong! Ibid. 13 The Ding-dong theory has, so far as I know, received no other name; let us call it symphonesis. 1880D. Asher tr. L. Geiger's Hist. Hum. Race 28 It has in England been called the ding-dong theory.
2. Characterized by a rapid succession or alternation of blows or vigorous strokes; vigorously maintained, downright, desperate. ding-dong race: a neck-and-neck race.
1864Daily Tel. 7 Dec., A ding-dong race ensued for the remainder of the distance. 1870Daily News 7 Dec., Could they hold the place under such a ding-dong pelting? 1879Pall Mall Budget 17 Oct. 22 To read the..story of that ding-dong fighting. 1883W. E. Norris No New Thing III. xxxv. 224 If it came to a regular ding-dong tussle between us. 1883E. Pennell-Elmhirst Cream Leicestersh. 333 By help of example and ding-dong determination.
3. dial. ‘Great, startling, extraordinary.’
1887S. Cheshire Gloss. s.v., I've gotten a job..the wages bin nothin' very ding-dong.
D. Comb. ding-dong-ˈdoggedly adv. (nonce-wd.), with vigorous and dogged repetition of effort.
1870Dickens Lett. (1880) II. 439, I have been most perservingly and ding-dong-doggedly at work.
▪ II. ˈding-ˈdong, v.
[Echoic: cf. prec. n.]
1. intr. To ring as a bell, or like a bell; also fig. in reference to peristent or monotonous repetition.
1659Torriano, Tintillare, to jangle, to gingle, to ding-dong, or ring shrill and sharp, as some bells do. 1837Carlyle Fr. Rev. ii. iv. i, But hark..the tocsin begins ding-dong-ing. a1845Barham Ingol. Leg., Knight & Lady, First dinner bell rang out its euphonious clang At five..and the last Ding-donged..at half-past. 1890Daily News 2 Jan. 5/3 She rarely takes up a new song..year by year she ‘ding-dongs at the same old ditties’. 1891G. Meredith One of our Conq. (1892) 136 You could have hammer-nailed and ding-donged to your heart's content.
2. trans. To assail with constant repetition of words.
b. To repeat with mechanical regularity.
1797T. Park Sonnets 85 Honest Ned Whose jealous wife ding-dongs him. 1854W. Waterworth Eng. & Rome 173 Some men..dare to ding dong in our ears the words. |