| 释义 |
▪ I. blarney, n.|ˈblɑːnɪ|
[f. Blarney, name of a village near Cork. In the castle there is an inscribed stone in a position difficult of access. The popular saying is that any one who kisses this ‘Blarney stone’ will ever after have ‘a cajoling tongue and the art of flattery or of telling lies with unblushing effrontery’ (Lewis Topog. Dict. Ireland).]
Smoothly flattering or cajoling talk. (Colloq.) Also, nonsense.
[1766Goldsmith Vic. W. I. xi. 95 Our two great acquaintances from town, Lady Blarny and Miss Carolina..Skeggs!] 1796Scott Let. 26 Sept. (1932) I. 55, I hold it (so to speak) to be all Blarney. 1819Crabbe T. of Hall xx 378 Bah!—bother!—blarney! What is this about? 1833Marryat P. Simple (1863) 71 With promises and blarney he got credit for all I wanted. 1884Ruskin in Pall Mall G. 17 Nov. 11/2 It was bombastic English blarney—not Irish. 1925D. H. Lawrence Refl. Death Porcupine 178 Perfect love, I suppose, means that a married man and woman never contradict one another... What blarney! 1955Times 18 June 6/6 You do not want to come here every day to listen to a lot of blarney.
▪ II. ˈblarney, v.
[f. prec.]
a. trans. To assail with blarney, to overcome or beguile with flattery.
b. intr. To use flattering speech.
1803Southey Lett. (1856) I. 246 On the occasion of some prize, blarneying (Mrs. King will explain the word), and assuring him that he must get it. 1833Marryat P. Simple (1863) 302 But I wo'n't blarney you, Peter. 1837Hawthorne Amer. Note-Bks. (1871) I. 43 Then would she wheedle and laugh and blarney.
Hence ˈblarneyed a., seasoned with blarney. ˈblarneyer, one who blarneys, a flatterer. ˈblarneyfied a. (slangy), blarneyed. ˈblarneying vbl. n., flattering talk; ppl. a. flattering.
1861A. H. Clington Frank O' Don. 12 Whose blarneyed tongues and good looks proved irresistible passports. 1882Cornh. Mag. June 671 All these avocats are arch blarneyers. 1830Fraser's Mag. I. 508 No balderdash of blarneyfied botheration. 1884M. Hickson Irel. in 17th C. I. 162 To follow..in the wake of their blarneying orators. |