| 释义 |
George|dʒɔːdʒ|
[ad. L. Geōrgius, a. Gr. Γεώργιος name of a saint said to have been a prince of Cappadocia, and to have suffered martyrdom in the reign of Diocletian.
St. George, who at an English synod of 1222 was placed only among saints of the second rank (Conc. Oxon. viii. in Conc. Collect. Paris 1644 XXVIII), has been recognized as the patron saint of England from the time of Edward III, perh. because of his being adopted as patron of the Order of the Garter, and his encounter with the dragon is frequently represented on coins, medals, etc. Hence are derived various secondary uses of the name, with or without the prefixed Saint.]
I. Saint George.
1. a. A cry formerly used by English soldiery.
1594Shakes. Rich. III, v. iii. 270 God, and Saint George, Richmond, and Victory. 1627Capt. Smith Seaman's Gram. xiii. 62 So sound Drums and Trumpets, and Saint George for England. 1704Prior Let. To Boileau Despreaux 164 Anne and St. George! the charging hero cries.
b. A form of lance-exercise.
1833Regul. Instr. Cavalry i. 166 [The exercise is described at length].
2. St. George's day: the festival day in honour of St. George, April 23. St. George's cross: an upright and a horizontal bar of red, crossing each other in the centre. St. George's colours: colours bearing a St. George's cross (so also St. George's ensign, flag, jack). St. George's guard (see quot. 1802).
1611Barry Ram Alley iv. i, By Dis I will be Knight, Weare a blew coate on great Saint Georges day. a1642Sir W. Monson Naval Tracts iii. (1704) 365/2 All Admirals..were wont to carry anciently the St. George's Flag in the Head of the Top-Mast. 1773Naval Chron. XXII. 186 Lord Edgcumbe..hoisted the St. George's flag at the fore⁓top. 1802Ibid. VII. 449 The men of war shifted the blue ensigns to St. George's colours. 1802C. James Milit. Dict., St. George's Guard, a guard of the broadsword or sabre, used in warding off blows directed against the head. 1806A. Duncan Nelson 72 The squadron wore the white, or St. George's ensign. ― Nelson's Funeral 17 The St. George's jack..was lowered half-mast high. 1867Smyth Sailor's Word-bk. s.v. Flag, The white field, with the red St. George's cross..is now alone used in the British navy.
II. George.
3. The jewel which forms part of the insignia of the Order of the Garter (see quot. 1672). greater, lesser George (cf. quots. 1672, 1724).
1506Paston Lett. No. 953 III. 404 A cheyn with a joerge of dyamondes. 1593Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, iv. i. 29 Looke on my George, I am a Gentleman. 1672Ashmole Order Garter 221 At the middle of the Collar before, is to be fastned the Image of St. George armed, sitting on Horseback, who having thrown the Dragon upon his back, encounters him with a tilting Spear. This Jewel is not surrounded with a Garter, or row of Diamonds, as is the lesser George, but made according to the representation in the Plate above, and called the Great George. 1675Lond. Gaz. No. 1026/4 Lost or stolen..an order of the Garter, or George, being a Cerdonix Stone..with a George engraven on the one side of the Onix, and a George enameled on the other side. 1724Ibid. No. 6284/2 Garter on his knee presented to the Sovereign the Blue Ribbon with the Gold or Little George, which His Majesty..put over the Left Shoulder of his Lordship..athwart under his Right Arm. 1788New Lond. Mag. IV. 167 A convict under sentence of transportation..for stealing a George set with diamonds. 1849Macaulay Hist. Eng. v. I. 615 At Chedzoy he stopped a moment to mount a fresh horse and to hide his blue riband and his George.
†4. slang. A coin bearing the image of St. George:
a. A half-crown;
b. (yellow) George, a guinea.
a.1659Pol. Ballads (1860) I. 138 When the Georges are flown, Then the Cause goes down. 1688Shadwell Sqr. Alsatia ii. Wks. 1720 IV. 48, I make bold to equip you with some Meggs, Smelts, Decus's and Georges. a1700B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew s.v., He tipt me Forty Georges for my Earnest, he paid me Five Pounds for my Share or Snack. 1719D'Urfey Pills I. 313 Let's give 'em a George. 1785Grose Dict. Vulg. Tongue, George, a half-crown piece.
b.1784Burns Ep. Rankine xii, An' baith a yellow George to claim, An' thole their blethers! 1785Grose Dict. Vulg. Tongue s.v., Yellow George, a guinea. 1812Sporting Mag. XXXIX. 139 A smart and scientific boxing match took place..for a George betwixt a gallant knight of the thimble..[and] Power the celebrated Pugilist.
5. (See quot.) ? Obs.; but cf. Brown George 1.
1755Johnson, George, a brown loaf. Of this sense I know not the original. 1791Ld. Jeffrey in Cockburn Life (1852) II. 3 (Let. from Queen's College, Oxford) Most of us choose to walk till nine o'clock, at which hour a George (that is to say a round penny roll) is served up, with a bit of butter..into each of our chambers.
6. a. by George (earlier † before George, for George, fore George): used as a mild oath, or as a mere exclamation. Also simply George!
1598B. Jonson Ev. Man in Hum. ii. i, Well! he knows what to trust to, for George [cf. iii. i, By St. George]. 1678Dryden Limberham, v. i, Before George 'tis so. 1700T. Brown tr. Fresny's Amusem. Ser. & Com. 135 Before George I think our Family's made of Iron. 1731Fielding Grub St. Opera III. vii, By George, I will make an Example of him. 1837Capt. Boldero Sp. Ho. Com. 19 Apr., By George I would, if I had the opportunity, serve him the same! 1885F. Anstey Tinted Venus 49, I mean what I say, by George I do! 1888A. C. Gunter Mr. Potter i, George! isn't it horribly lonely?
b. Colloq. phr. let George do it: let someone else do the work or take the responsibility. orig. U.S.
1910Bookman May 293/2 What's going to happen when Lovey asks papa to hold Snookums and that hitherto devoted parent replies, ‘Let George do it.’ 1942Wodehouse Money in Bank (1946) xvi. 140 He was not familiar with the fine old slogan, Let George Do It. 1948Chicago Tribune (Grafic Mag.) 10 Oct. 8/1 Producers have a way of saying ‘Let George do it’ whenever a particularly difficult villain role turns up. 1971P. G. Wodehouse in N.Y. Times Encycl. Almanac 1971 448 It is the old, old story. Overconfidence. We tell ourselves, ‘Oh, I can't be bothered getting a divorce. They'll be plenty without me. Let George do it.’
c. Used as a familiar form of address to a stranger; spec. in Services' slang: (a) an airman; (b) an automatic pilot in an aircraft.
1925Fraser & Gibbons Soldier & Sailor Words 104 George, a colloquial term for an airman, corresponding to ‘Jack’ for bluejacket, and ‘Tommy’ for a soldier. Also used sometimes in the Air Force in addressing any stranger. 1931Flight 30 Oct. 1082 ‘George’ is the automatic pilot about which there has been so much talk lately. 1943C. H. Ward-Jackson Piece of Cake 31 In the early days of the Great War soldiers and sailors came to refer to any airman as ‘George’... Airmen thus came to address any strange fellow by the same name. 1961Shell Aviation News No. 282, 5/2 Even if powered controls do all the physical work, if ‘George’ does all the ‘steering’,..the test pilot is the man who bears the responsibility, and is still irreplaceable.
7. Comb., as George Cross, George Medal, decorations for gallantry in civilian life instituted by King George VI; George guinea = sense 4 b; † George-noble, a gold coin worth 6s. 8d.; † George-ring (see quot. 1709); also Georgemas = St. George's Day.
1597–8Bp. Hall Sat. iv. vi. 31 Whiles his George-Nobles rusten in his chest. 1695W. Lowndes Amendm. Silv. Coin 21 Masters and Workers, Covenanted to make Two sorts of Gold Coins to wit..Rialls, Angels, George-Nobles. 1709Hearne Collect. (O.H.S.) II. 310 Having on them the Image of St. George they were call'd George Rings. 1805Edin. Rev. VII. 270 Henry VIII..coined george-nobles of 6s. 8d. 1830James Darnley xxxv, He was to take the lady, the chaplain, and the waiting-maid, to Boulogne, for ten George nobles. 1868Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc. IV. ii. 349 Buying..wether hoggs at the Georgemas tryst. 1905Westm. Gaz. 25 May 7/3 The finding of George guineas. 1940N. & Q. 5 Oct. 235/1 In the broadcast..which he delivered on Sept. 23, His Majesty the King..announced that..he has decided to create at once a new mark of honour for men and women in all walks of civilian life. ‘I propose,’ he said, ‘to give my name to this new distinction, which will consist of the George Cross, which will rank next to the Victoria Cross, and the George Medal for wider distribution.’ 1941H. Brighouse in J. W. Marriott Best One-Act Plays of 1940 293 Philip. You can take it as official that you'll be recommended for the George Cross. Alfred. Crimes! That's the civilian V.C. 1959Daily Tel. 24 Apr. 13/4 (heading) George Medal man gaoled. 1966Whitaker's Almanack 772/1 Malta was..besieged in the last war and again withstood the attacks... In recognition of the part played by the Maltese people, King George VI awarded the George Cross to the island. |