释义 |
ˈRed-baiting, vbl. n. orig. U.S. Also with lower-case initial. [red n.1 6 b.] Harassment of those of known or suspected communist sympathies; also attrib. So (as a back-formation) ˈred-bait v. trans. and intr., to oppose, thwart, or persecute because of communist associations; ˈRed-baiter, red-baiter, one who seeks out and harasses supposed communists.
1929Nation 2 Oct. 343/1 Red-Baiters... Mr. Woll and his underlings have become..obsessed with an anti-Communist spirit. 1934M. H. Weseen Dict. Amer. Slang 386 Red⁓baiting, looking for communists. 1937Nation 14 Aug. 167/2 A new red-baiting campaign. 1939Sun (Baltimore) 22 Mar. 12/1 It was well-nigh impossible to say a word for capitalism and against the vagaries of Communism without being accused of Red-baiting. 1940G. Seldes Witch Hunt p. xi, Nevertheless, that program was redbaited into compromise and failure. 1943F. Scully Rogue's Gallery Hollywood 83 Fugitives from red-baiting America..they all rallied 'round leaders like Pirandello. 1946Sun (Baltimore) 19 July 20/1 The War Department hasn't gone off half⁓cocked to ‘witch hunt, red bait or to bust’ unions. 1950Manch. Guardian Weekly 15 June 15 The ‘Amerasia’ case is something that the Red-baiters have wanted to open up again ever since the conviction of Alger Hiss. Ibid. 16 Nov. 9 The defeat of the Liberals..suggests that vociferous ‘Red⁓baiting’ is, however silly, good politics. 1962D. Lessing Golden Notebk. iv. 483 The fanciest bit of red-baiting I've heard in a long time. 1969Listener 13 Feb. 214/2 One might sneer away the Red-baiting of the Hearst press and shrug off the ceaseless cries of ‘Fascists!’ from the Left, and yet be uneasy about the future. 1974Socialist Worker 2 Nov. 12/5 The information could be used to red-bait or victimise workers involved in the present disputes. 1976Times Lit. Suppl. 23 Jan. 89/1 Professor Nove may be in danger of incurring from some of our red-baiters the ludicrously unjustifiable charge of being an apologist for Stalin. 1977Time 7 Feb. 46/3 Boyle, 40, stars as the Red-baiting chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. |