| 释义 |
ruffle someone's feathers, to ruffle someone's feathersFig. to irritate or annoy someone. I didn't mean to ruffle his feathers. I just thought that I would remind him of what he promised us.See also: feather, ruffleruffle someone's feathersAnnoy or offend someone, as in Calling him a tightwad really ruffled his feathers. This term alludes to the stiffened, upright feathers of an angry bird. [Mid-1800s] See also: feather, ruffleruffle feathers COMMON If someone ruffles feathers, they say or do something which upsets or annoys people. His management style ruffled a few feathers. The tall Texan ruffled some English feathers with his remarks. Note: If a bird's feathers are ruffled they stand out from its body, for example because it is frightened or angry. See also: feather, ruffleruffle someone's feathers cause someone to become annoyed or upset.See also: feather, ruffleruffle someone's feathers, toTo irritate someone. The transfer of stiffened, upright feathers from angry birds to human beings took place around 1800. “The Dean ruffled his plumage and said, with some asperity . . . ,” wrote Frederic W. Farrar (Julian Home, 1859).See also: ruffle |