| 释义 |
now or never
now or neverAt the current time or not at all. Said of an action that must be done now or will not be able to be done in the future. Once we start our careers, it will be harder and harder to take a backpacking trip like this. It's now or never! If you have to go to the bathroom before we get back on the road, go now, because it's now or never!See also: never, now*now or neverat this time and no other. (*Typically: be ~; become ~.) This is your only chance, John. It's now or never. I decided that it was now or never, and jumped.See also: never, nownow or never, it'sIt must be done now or not at all, as in If you plan to state your case to the boss, it's now or never. This phrase was first recorded in 1560. See also: nownow or never used to convey urgency. 1994 James Kelman How Late It Was, How Late It's now or never, know what I'm saying; he's out this once, there's no gony be a second time. See also: never, nowit’s ˌnow or ˈnever you must do something now because you will not get another opportunity to do it: If we don’t climb it now, we never will. It’s now or never.See also: never, nownow or neverLast chance to speak or act. This term goes back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. In English, Chaucer used it in Troilus and Criseyde (“Never er now? what sey ye, no?”) and Shakespeare in Henry VI, Part 2, 3.1: “Now, York, or never, steel thy fearful thoughts.”See also: never, nowAcronymsSeeNON |