| 释义 |
now-a-days, adv.
[f. now adv. + adays 2. Now freq. written without hyphens as one word.]
1. At the present day, in these times.
1362Langl. P. Pl. A. xi. 37 Lecherie and losengrie..beoþ gamus nou A dayes. 1390Gower Conf. II. 291 As men mai finde nou adaies. a1450Knt. de la Tour (1868) 53 Men of these maners there be now a dayes to mani. 1474Caxton Chesse 30 The lawes nowadayes ben not executed but vpon the poure peple. a1533Ld. Berners Huon lxxxi. 252 Now a dayes can not be founde trew frendes as were wont to be. 1583Stubbes Anat. Abus. ii. (1882) 19, I cannot but lament the small preferment now adaies that learning getteth in the world. 1611Bible 1 Sam. xxv. 10 There bee many seruants now a daies that breake away. 1658A. Fox Würtz' Surg. ii. Introd. 43 Yet have I not related all the abuses which are practised and committed now adayes. 1712Addison Spect. No. 481 ⁋4 Lacqueys were never so saucy and pragmatical, as they are now-a-days. 1766Fordyce Serm. Yng. Wom. (1767) l. vi. 226 We speak of good housewifery now a days. 1833H. Martineau Berkeley the Banker i. i. 21 Guineas are scarce now-a-days. 1893Law Times XCV. 248/1 The Crown has certain privileges which appear somewhat anomalous nowadays.
b. attrib.
1609J. Rawlinson Fishermen 32 Such indeed..is our now-adaies religion. 1897Westm. Gaz. 2 Mar. 2/1 These nowadays parsons are just a set of fussing insurance agents.
c. As n.
1645Milton Tetrach. 26 Not partly right and partly wrong,..as Divines of now adaies dare censure them. 1647tr. Maloezzi's Pourtract 94 The Phisitians of now a dayes. 1852Hawthorne Wonder Bk. (1879) 121 In the orchards of nowadays.
2. In variant forms now o' († of, or † on) days.
[1390Gower Conf. II. 59 On daies nou The blinde god..set the thinges in discord.] c1400Mandeville (Roxb.) xxviii. 128 Þis myracle..schuld stirre Cristen men to be mare deuote..þan þai er now on days. c1440Alph. Tales 16 Bod monkis er not so now o dayis. Ibid. 73 So it happens oft sithes now-of-dayes. 1535Stewart Cron. Scot. II. 486 Men wald be..meikar als than now on dais tha ar. 1542Udall Erasm. Apoph. 223 Such as our princes & noble menne have nowe of dayes.
1819Metropolis III. 81 No one comes to hear the play now o' days.
So now-a-nights.
1841Thoreau Let. 21 July in Corr. (1958) 45 Now-a-nights I go on to the hill. 1847F. A. Kemble Rec. Later Life III. 289 Murray's Handbook..and the foreign ‘Bradshaw’. These furnish my lullaby now-a-nights. 1920Beerbohm And Even Now 120 The Golden Drugget is not outspread nowanights across the high dark coast-road between Rapallo and Zoagli. 1939Joyce Finnegans Wake 15 And still nowanights and by nights of yore do all bold floras..say only: Cull me ere I wilt to thee! |