| 释义 |
shirt-sleeve, shirtsleeve
1. a. A sleeve of a shirt. Chiefly pl. Also used loosely in pl. with reference to the absence of a coat. Phr. in one's shirt-sleeves, with one's coat off.
c1566Merie Tales of Skelton xi. in S.'s Wks. (1843) I. p. lxv, The hostler was in hys ierkyn, and hys shirte sleues wer aboue his elbowes. 1612Peacham Gentl. Exerc. viii. 27 [Bathers depicted as] surprized by the enemy, where you might see one putting his head into his shirt sleeue for hast. 1757Phil. Trans. L. 108 His shirt-sleeve, and the upper part of his waistcoat, were reduced to tinder. 1789J. Woodforde Diary 30 July (1927) III. 126 The latter was..working in his garden in his Shirt Sleeves. 1832F. Trollope Dom. Manners Amer. II. xxv. 56, I saw one man..take off his coat that he might enjoy the refreshing coolness of shirt sleeves. 1837Carlyle Fr. Rev. III. iv. viii, In their shirt-sleeves, coat flung loosely round the neck. 1859Geo. Eliot A. Bede iv, He..threw off his jacket, and began to roll up his shirt-sleeves again. 1878Emerson Misc. Papers, Fort. Republic Wks. (Bohn) III. 394 Here is the human race poured out over the continent;..all mankind in its shirt-sleeves. 1942D. M. Crook Spitfire Pilot 45 We were flying in shirt sleeves. 1977Times 29 Oct. 5 (caption) A Panama hat and shirtsleeves for the Duke of Edinburgh in the tropical sun.
2. attrib. (in sing. or pl.)
a. That is in shirtsleeves; usu. fig., hard-working, workmanlike; down-to-earth, informal; (see also quot. 1959).
1864Sala in Daily Tel. 27 Sept., The people are going to elect shirt-sleeve aldermen that work all day. 1908Pall Mall Gaz. 20 Apr. 2/2 The Congressmen have a preference for what they picturesquely describe as ‘Shirtsleeve Ambassadors’—men who they think will labour for their country's interests and scorn social fascinations. 1924Lawrence & Skinner Boy in Bush 11 The shirt-sleeves familiarity, the shabby clothes. 1959Times 7 Sept. 16/1 Shirtsleeves weather. 1967Boston Sunday Herald 26 Mar. i. 44/2 (Advt.), A ‘self-starter’ and a guy who will fit into a small shirtsleeve agency. 1979G. Seymour Red Fox iii. 44 [He] would have given much to have exchanged the brilliance of the surroundings for a shirtsleeves working area.
b. shirtsleeve(s) diplomacy, management of political affairs which is characterized by lack of formality or sophistication; shirtsleeve order (Mil.), the wearing of uniform without a jacket.
1931W. F. Sands Undiplomatic Mem. 22, I admit some pride in believing that they acted like gentlemen in the matter, though perhaps it was only shirt-sleeves diplomacy. 1959Times 22 Aug. 9/5 Maximum cartridges are an asset for long-range shots, but perhaps hardly ideal for shirt-sleeve order. 1977Listener 11 Aug. 164/3 Accessibility..and, in the best sense, shirtsleeve diplomacy are on. 1979‘J. D. White’ Brandenburg Affair iv. 37 Colonel Petrov..was another huge man...Even in shirt-sleeve order..his massive arms..gave him an air of permanence.
Hence shirt-sleeved a.
1869Lowell Poems, Cathedral 600 This brown-fisted rough, this shirt-sleeved Cid. 1889D. C. Murray Dang. Catspaw 30 Esden, sitting shirtsleeved in his apartments. |