单词 | pratfall |
释义 | pratfalln. 1. Originally Theatre. A comedy fall; a fall on to the buttocks. ΘΚΠ the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > downward motion > falling > [noun] > falling down or from erect position (animates) > on buttocks arse-push1660 pratfall1903 society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > drama > a play > [noun] > action as distinct from dialogue > types of cross1838 pratfall1903 1903 J. S. Farmer & W. E. Henley Slang VII. i. 61/1 Tailer, a fall on the breech, a pratfall. 1939 N. Coward Words & Music in Play Parade II. 108 Don't do a pratfall in your first routine. 1941 L. Rosten Hollywood 316 The Hollywood writers—graduates of the westerns..masters of the chase, the ‘pratt-fall’..—kept the movies moving. 1952 ‘E. Box’ Death in Fifth Position (1954) ii. 47 Some homicidal maniac..who enjoyed seeing ballerinas take fatal pratfalls. 1961 Guardian 27 Apr. 9/4 A more intelligent form of humour—away from the pratfall type of thing. 1990 Premiere June 57/3 A guy..dropped a supersize Coke onto the already slick floor, then did a pratfall, landing on his tailbone. 2000 Times 7 Aug. ii. 13/4 Mullarkey's comic talent lies in the contrast between his demure and dapper image and his unerring ability for inelegant pratfalls. 2. figurative and in extended use. A fall that causes humiliation; an embarrassing failure or mistake. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > adversity > calamity or misfortune > [noun] > misfortune or ill-luck > instance of misfortune or ill-luck > a mishap or unlucky accident mistideOE unhapc1230 chancea1300 mischancec1325 mishapa1387 accident?1490 casualtya1513 shrewd turn1565 casuality1574 misaccident1620 mishanter1754 contretemps1809 bust-up1841 pratfall1941 snafu1943 1941 Time Mag. 18 Aug. 14/2 In one skirmish after another they routed the Lewis-Addes side. By week's end it was plain that Mr. Lewis was taking a pratfall. 1953 R. Bradbury Fahrenheit 451 (1954) i. 56 Life becomes one big pratfall. 1971 Guardian 25 Nov. 17/2 Performers who write their own material often take enormous pratfalls. 1977 Rolling Stone 7 Apr. 43/1 Why has an important investigation so quickly degenerated into a series of pratfalls? 1995 Private Eye 27 Jan. 6/1 John Major, having clumsily careered into every political obstacle in his path so far might now be blundering towards the biggest pratfall of them all: a premature general election. 2000 W. Self How Dead Live (2001) 15 A nation who've always been convulsed by the world's pratfall, when it was they who yanked away the chair. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022). pratfallv. intransitive. To fall on to the buttocks; to make a pratfall or series of pratfalls. Also figurative. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > adversity > calamity or misfortune > happen unfortunately [verb (intransitive)] > suffer misfortune or a mishap mishappenc1230 mishapc1385 mistidec1390 spill1390 misbetide?a1400 misfalla1400 mistime1402 misfortune?a1425 misbefallc1450 miscapea1535 mischancea1542 to come home by unhappinessc1555 mislucka1617 buy1825 pratfall1940 schlimazel1963 1940 Time 30 Dec. 30/1 Opera at the Met has a way of prattfalling between two stools. 1942 Time 3 Aug. 74/2 On the way to the plate he prat-falls on the carefully laid-out row of bats in front of the dugout. 1983 I. Watson Bk. of River (1984) iv. 194 He tumbles and pratfalls all along the ice. 1994 Amer. Spectator Nov. 16/2 As Our President pratfalls his way through his fantasy presidency, ominous discoveries are being made throughout the world. Derivatives ˈpratfallen adj. that has fallen on the buttocks.Apparently an isolated use. ΘΚΠ the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > downward motion > falling > [adjective] > fallen down > on to the buttocks pratfallen1940 1940 Time 29 Jan. 41/1 The sight of Sonja (for the fourth time in her professional career) pratt-fallen. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < n.1903v.1940 |
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