| 释义 |
quits, a. and n.|kwɪts|
[Cf. quit a., but the origin of the -s is obscure; it may be due to a colloquial use of the med.L. quit(t)us in receipts (cf. quitsest).]
A. adj.
†1. Clear, discharged (of a liability). Obs.
1478Croscombe Church-w. Acc. (Som. Rec. Soc.) 7 Rest to the Wardenes xviijs. ixd. paid them, so quits herof. 1590Acc.-bk. W. Wray in Antiquary XXXII. 374 Su[mma] is iiij li. iiij s. ij d.; payd and quits.
2. a. Even or equal (with another) by means of repayment or retaliation.
1663Cowley Cutter Colman St. v. ii, Wor. I had quite forgot you... Joll. Faith, we're both quits then;..I ha' forgot you. 1675R. Burthogge Causa Dei 127 Revenge..expressed in common language by ‘I will be quits with him’. 1741Richardson Pamela (1824) I. xxix. 47 Do you think, as I had no wages, I may be supposed to be quits? 1816W. Irving in Life & Lett. (1864) I. 356, I shall be content to be quits with fortune for a very moderate portion. 1879Dixon Windsor II. xx. 215 When all was paid, the young King and the sorceress queen were quits.
b. to cry quits (cf. quittance 4).
1639Fuller Holy War iii. xi. (1840) 134 To cry quits with them, our English authors impute it to the envy of the French. 1837Marryat Percival Keene xix, I should have fired at you, so we may cry quits on that score. 1884J. Gilmour Mongols 133 On the young man making an apology, the old man had been content to cry quits.
c. double or quits: see double adv. 4.
d. to call (it) quits = to cry quits; hence, to give up or call off a venture, occas. with suggestion of cutting one's losses.
1898J. London Let. 30 Nov. (1966) 5 Tomorrow I would cut my throat and call quits with the whole cursed business. 1950Manch. Guardian Weekly 16 Mar. 2/2 The old isolationists want to ‘call quits’ on the whole business. 1963J. Joesten They call it Intelligence ii. viii. 75 Vic smelled a rat and decided to call it quits. 1972Islander (Victoria, B.C.) 13 Feb. 2/4 Nearly bitten alive with mosquitoes..I called it quits and joined the gang in the [boat].
3. Quit or rid of. rare—1.
1885M. E. Herbert tr. Lagrange's Life Bp. Dupanloup I. 277 They only wish to be quits of the whole thing.
B. n.
a. An equivalent, a recompense.
b. Reprisal, retaliation. rare.
1806T. S. Surr Winter in Lond. III. 259 Fifty pounds..which..was to be quits for sister's virtue. 1865W. G. Palgrave Arabia I. 38 Not finding the occasion favourable for taking immediate quits. |