| 释义 |
backstairs|ˈbækˈstɛəs|
[f. back a.]
1. Stairs at the back of a house; a secondary staircase.
1654Earl of Orrery Parthen. (1676) 547 To lead him down a back-stairs. 1655Marquis of Worcester Cent. Inv. xlviii, With Back-stairs..convenient to Servants to pass up and down. 1863H. Kingsley A. Elliot I. x. 114 ‘So I hits myself down the back-stairs with a tray-full of glasses.’
2. a. esp. The private stairs in a palace, used for other than state visitors.
1627Ord. R. Househ. (1790) 343 All access must bee..neither by back stayres or private doores. 1682Lond. Gaz. No. 1764/4 Whoever brings him to her Royal Highnesses Back-stairs, shall have a Guinea Reward. 188419th Cent. Jan. 29 A page of the back stairs of the royal palace.
b. fig. A secret disingenuous method of approach.
1641Sir E. Dering Sp. on Relig. xi. 40, I hope we are not going up the back-stairs to Socinianisme. 1855C. Kingsley Westward Ho! (ed. 2) II. x. 269 A priest of the Church of England, (whose business is not merely to smuggle sinful souls up the backstairs into heaven).
c. esp. attrib. Of, pertaining to, or employing underhand intrigue at court. (Occas. backstair.) Also (in attrib. use) clandestine, underhand.
1663E. Cooke in 11th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. v. Dartmouth MSS. (1887) 11 Sends humble service to Legge's lady..Dick Lane, and all bedchamber backstair friends. 1697Vanbrugh Relapse II, A backstair minister. 1768Goldsmith Good-n. Man ii. 21 Is not he a backstairs favourite, one that can do what he pleases with those that do what they please? 1770Burke Pres. Discont. Wks. 1842 I. 131 A backstairs influence and clandestine government. 1882L. Stephen Swift 110 The back-stairs plots by which the administration of his friends was hampered. 1930G. B. Shaw Apple Cart i. 31 They get amusing articles, spiced with exclusive backstairs information. 1933N. Coward Design for Living i. 19 We could carry on a backstairs affair for weeks without saying a word about it. 1935T. S. Eliot Murder Cathed. ii. 58 This is the man who was the tradesman's son: the backstairs brat who was born in Cheapside. |