| 单词 | never mention rope in the house of a man who has been hanged |
| 释义 | > as lemmasnever mention rope in the house of a man who has been hanged P3. Proverb. never mention rope in the house of a man who has been hanged: do not refer to a subject among persons for whom it will arouse painful feelings. [After Spanish no se ha de mentar la soga en casa del ahorcado, lit. ‘one must not mention the rope in the house of the hanged one’ (see quot. 1599; 1549 as en casa del ahorcado no mientes la soga), also (in similar constructions) mentar la soga en casa del ahorcado, usually in transferred sense ‘to say the wrong thing’ (a1550 or earlier).] ΚΠ 1599 J. Minsheu Pleasant Dialogues Spanish & Eng. 2 in R. Percyvall & J. Minsheu Spanish Gram. No se a de mentár la soga, en casa del ahorcádo,..a man ought not to make mention of a halter in the house of a man that was hanged.] 1612 T. Shelton tr. M. de Cervantes Don-Quixote: Pt. 1 iii. xi. 244 Why doe I name an Asse with my mouth, seeing one should not make mention of a Rope in ones house that was hanged [Sp. no se ha de mentar la soga en casa del ahorcado]? 1890 J. Payn Burnt Million xxxii. 232 Miss Grace, whom he pictured..as sensitive upon the matter, as though if her parent had been hung she would have been to an allusion to a rope. 1974 J. L. Hess Grand Acquisitors xvi. 149 To talk of Raphael in the Boston Museum was like mentioning rope in the house of a hanged man. 1995 Washington Times 14 July a4 Whenever he hears the very word ‘Vietnam’, shame could compel Mr. Clinton to excuse himself... He should remember FDR's famous admonition to avoid speaking of rope in the house of a man recently hanged. < as lemmas |
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