| 释义 |
rope's end, n.
[rope n.1]
1. The end of a rope; esp. a piece from the end of a rope used as an instrument of punishment. Also in phr. not to care a rope's end for.
c1460–70The Good Wyfe 91 in Bk. Precedence 41 Take not euery roppys-end Witt euery man þat hallis. 1590Shakes. Com. Err. iv. iv. 16 To what end did I bid thee hie thee home? E. Dro. To a ropes end sir, and to that end am I return'd. 1663Pepys Diary 23 June, I beat him, and then went up in to fetch my rope's end. 1687A. Lovell tr. Thevenot's Trav. i. 196 With Ropes-ends laying one another over the Shoulders. 1769Falconer Dict. Marine, Bouts de corde, a cat of nine tails, colt or rope's end for punishment. 1828P. Cunningham N.S. Wales (ed. 3) II. 287, I allow them to carry ropes-ends in their pockets to touch up the lazy fellows. 1847H. Melville Omoo xi, Fastening a rope's end to each sleeper, he rove the lines through a number of blocks. 1858Trollope Three Clerks II. viii. 178 Uncle Bat..did not care a rope's end for Undy Scott. 1887Besant The World Went xiv, If you anger me more, you shall taste the rope's-end.
2. A halter; a hangman's noose.
1821Scott Pirate v, I cannot see the pleasure men propose by dangling in a rope's-end betwixt earth and heaven. 1888Stevenson Black Arrow 200 If we fell to be recognised..I should be kicking in a rope's end.
Hence rope's-end v., to flog with a rope's end; rope's-ending vbl. n.
1825Gentl. Mag. XCV. ii. 397 ‘To leather,’ ‘to strap,’ ‘to ropes-end,’ &c., speak for themselves. 1836E. Howard R. Reefer xxxviii, I would..rope's-end those lubbers. 1840H. Cockton Life Valentine Vox xii. 88 You shall catch, my dear, the blessedest rope's-ending you ever had any notion on yet. 1885J. Runciman Skippers & Sh. 75 He could not rope's-end the owner of the boat. 1887Besant The World Went iv, In such ships are floggings daily, and mutinous words, with rope's-ending and continual flogging. |