单词 | to buy a cat in the sack |
释义 | > as lemmasto buy a cat in the sack a. Proverbs and proverbial phrases. †to buy a cat in the sack [compare French acheter chat en sac Cotgrave] : to buy an article without first inspecting it. to bring, carry (more) sacks to the mill: see mill n.1 1b †to cover oneself with a wet sack [= French se couvrir d'un sac mouillé, 16th cent.] : to make vain excuses. to hold the sack: to be saddled with an unwelcome responsibility (U.S.). ΘΚΠ society > morality > duty or obligation > responsibility > be under responsibility [verb (intransitive)] > be left with a responsibility > unwelcome (to leave a person) to hold the baby1878 to hold the sack1904 c1380 J. Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 422 To bye a catte in þo sakke is bot litel charge. 1546 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue ii. ii. sig. Gv I promyse you, an old sack asketh muche paschyng. 1579 L. Tomson tr. J. Calvin Serm. Epist. S. Paule to Timothie & Titus 340/2 Therefore the Papists couer them selues with a wet sack, when they say [etc.]. a1651 D. Calderwood Hist. Kirk Scotl. (1843) II. 404 Where they alledge we sould have beene occasioun to caus our sonne follow his father hastilie, they cover themselves theranent with a wett seck. 1904 W. H. Smith Promoters xxiv. 343 They are the ones that are always left to hold the sack. 1921 C. E. Mulford Bar-20 Three xii. 140 Long an' Thompson are holding the sack. They're scapegoats for th' whole cussed gang. 1924 C. E. Mulford Rustlers' Valley iii. 33 I'm shore leavin' him holdin' th' sack! 1929 Univ. Kansas Graduate Mag. Apr. We will be holding the sack for an additional..deficit of nearly $1000. 1936 E. S. Gardner Case of Stuttering Bishop xii. 191 Perhaps you didn't plan to drag me into the case and leave me holding the sack, but it sure looks as though you did. 1954 W. Faulkner Fable (1955) 176 You might leave your own kinfolks holding the sack, but these are the sheriff's friends. < as lemmas |
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