释义 |
tinker
tin·ker T0226000 (tĭng′kər)n.1. A traveling mender of metal household utensils.2. Chiefly British A member of any of various traditionally itinerant groups of people living especially in Scotland and Ireland; a traveler.3. One who enjoys experimenting with and repairing machine parts.4. A clumsy repairer or worker; a meddler.v. tin·kered, tin·ker·ing, tin·kers v.intr.1. To work as a tinker.2. To make unskilled or experimental efforts at repair; fiddle: tinkered with the engine, hoping to discover the trouble; tinkering with the economy by trying various fiscal policies.v.tr.1. To mend as a tinker.2. To manipulate unskillfully or experimentally. [Middle English tinkere.] tin′ker·er n.tinker (ˈtɪŋkə) n1. (Crafts) (esp formerly) a travelling mender of pots and pans2. a clumsy worker3. the act of tinkering4. (Peoples) Scot and Irish another name for Gypsy5. informal Brit a mischievous child6. (Animals) any of several small mackerels that occur off the North American coast of the Atlanticvb7. (foll by: with) to play, fiddle, or meddle (with machinery, etc), esp while undertaking repairs8. (Crafts) to mend (pots and pans) as a tinker[C13 tinkere, perhaps from tink tinkle, of imitative origin] ˈtinkerer ntin•ker (ˈtɪŋ kər) n. 1. a mender of pots and pans, usu. an itinerant. 2. an unskillful or clumsy worker; bungler. 3. a jack-of-all-trades. 4. an act or instance of tinkering. 5. traveler (def. 7). 6. a young mackerel. v.i. 7. to busy oneself with a thing without useful results. 8. to work unskillfully or clumsily at anything. 9. to do the work of a tinker. v.t. 10. to mend as a tinker. 11. to repair in a clumsy or makeshift way. [1225–75; Middle English tinkere] tin′ker•er, n. tinker Past participle: tinkered Gerund: tinkering
Present |
---|
I tinker | you tinker | he/she/it tinkers | we tinker | you tinker | they tinker |
Preterite |
---|
I tinkered | you tinkered | he/she/it tinkered | we tinkered | you tinkered | they tinkered |
Present Continuous |
---|
I am tinkering | you are tinkering | he/she/it is tinkering | we are tinkering | you are tinkering | they are tinkering |
Present Perfect |
---|
I have tinkered | you have tinkered | he/she/it has tinkered | we have tinkered | you have tinkered | they have tinkered |
Past Continuous |
---|
I was tinkering | you were tinkering | he/she/it was tinkering | we were tinkering | you were tinkering | they were tinkering |
Past Perfect |
---|
I had tinkered | you had tinkered | he/she/it had tinkered | we had tinkered | you had tinkered | they had tinkered |
Future |
---|
I will tinker | you will tinker | he/she/it will tinker | we will tinker | you will tinker | they will tinker |
Future Perfect |
---|
I will have tinkered | you will have tinkered | he/she/it will have tinkered | we will have tinkered | you will have tinkered | they will have tinkered |
Future Continuous |
---|
I will be tinkering | you will be tinkering | he/she/it will be tinkering | we will be tinkering | you will be tinkering | they will be tinkering |
Present Perfect Continuous |
---|
I have been tinkering | you have been tinkering | he/she/it has been tinkering | we have been tinkering | you have been tinkering | they have been tinkering |
Future Perfect Continuous |
---|
I will have been tinkering | you will have been tinkering | he/she/it will have been tinkering | we will have been tinkering | you will have been tinkering | they will have been tinkering |
Past Perfect Continuous |
---|
I had been tinkering | you had been tinkering | he/she/it had been tinkering | we had been tinkering | you had been tinkering | they had been tinkering |
Conditional |
---|
I would tinker | you would tinker | he/she/it would tinker | we would tinker | you would tinker | they would tinker |
Past Conditional |
---|
I would have tinkered | you would have tinkered | he/she/it would have tinkered | we would have tinkered | you would have tinkered | they would have tinkered | ThesaurusNoun | 1. | tinker - a person who enjoys fixing and experimenting with machines and their partstinkererexperimenter - a person who enjoys testing innovative ideas; "she was an experimenter in new forms of poetry" | | 2. | tinker - formerly a person (traditionally a Gypsy) who traveled from place to place mending pots and kettles and other metal utensils as a way to earn a livinggipsy, gypsy, itinerant - a laborer who moves from place to place as demanded by employment; "itinerant traders" | | 3. | tinker - small mackerel found nearly worldwidechub mackerel, Scomber japonicusmackerel - any of various fishes of the family Scombridaegenus Scomber, Scomber - type genus of the Scombridae | Verb | 1. | tinker - do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly; "The old lady is usually mucking about in her little house"monkey around, muck about, muck around, potter, mess around, monkey, putterpuddle - mess around, as in a liquid or paste; "The children are having fun puddling in paint"work - exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity; "I will work hard to improve my grades"; "she worked hard for better living conditions for the poor" | | 2. | tinker - work as a tinker or tinkererdo work, work - be employed; "Is your husband working again?"; "My wife never worked"; "Do you want to work after the age of 60?"; "She never did any work because she inherited a lot of money"; "She works as a waitress to put herself through college" | | 3. | tinker - try to fix or mend; "Can you tinker with the T.V. set--it's not working right"; "She always fiddles with her van on the weekend"fiddlefix, furbish up, mend, repair, bushel, doctor, touch on, restore - restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken; "She repaired her TV set"; "Repair my shoes please" |
tinkerverb meddle, play, toy, monkey, potter, fiddle (informal), dabble, mess about, muck about (Brit. slang) Instead of admitting their error, they just tinkered with the problem.tinkerverb1. To handle something idly, ignorantly, or destructively:fiddle, fool, meddle, mess, tamper.Informal: monkey.2. To move one's fingers or hands in a nervous or aimless fashion:fiddle, fidget, fool, monkey, play, putter, toy, trifle, twiddle.Translationstinker (ˈtiŋkə) noun a person who travels around like a gypsy, mending kettles, pans etc. (流動的)銲鍋匠 白铁工 verb (often with about or around) to fiddle, or work in an unskilled way, with machinery etc. He enjoys tinkering around (with car engines). 粗劣的補修 粗糙地补修tinker
Tinker to Evers to ChanceA legendary baseball double-play. The phrase is used as the refrain in the poem "Baseball's Sad Lexicon" by Franklin Piece Adams. It refers to three Chicago Cubs players from the early 20th century: Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and Frank Chance. I wish I had been born in an earlier era, so that I could have seen Tinker to Evers to Chance—not to mention Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig and all the famous players of yore.See also: chance, Ever, tinkernot give a tinker's damn about (someone or something)rude slang To not care about, or have any interest in, someone or something. Fred does not give a tinker's damn about what anyone else thinks of him.See also: damn, give, notnot give a tinker's cussrude slang To not care about, or have any interest in, someone or something. Primarily heard in UK, Australia. Fred does not give a tinker's cuss about what anyone else thinks of him.See also: cuss, give, notnot worth a tinker's damnCompletely worthless or useless; having little or no value. I was so excited when my grandfather said he'd give me his car, but this old clunker isn't worth a tinker's damn. Over the years working here, I've come to realize that the boss's word isn't worth a tinker's damn.See also: damn, not, worthnot worth a damnHaving no value or integrity; worthless. The company offered vouchers to its employees, but they aren't worth a damn. You've broken your word so many times that your promises aren't worth a damn. My brother gave me his old laptop, but it's not worth a damn anymore.See also: damn, not, worthnot give a tinker's curseslang To not care about, or have any interest in, someone or something. Primarily heard in UK, Australia. Fred does not give a tinker's curse about what anyone else thinks of him.See also: curse, give, nottinker around with (something)1. To make unprofessional or experimental attempts at repairing or improving something. I've been tinkering around with the washing machine all afternoon, but nothing I do seems to fix it. Bud likes to tinker around with old car engines and see if he can make them run better than they used to.2. To test or use something in order to learn more about it. I'm tinkering around with a different platform for my blog, and I can't decide if I like it or not.See also: around, tinkertinker with (something)1. To make unprofessional or experimental attempts at repairing or improving something. I've been tinkering with the washing machine all afternoon, but nothing I do seems to fix it. Bud likes to tinker with old car engines and see if he can make them run better than they used to.2. To test or use something in order to learn more about it. I'm tinkering with a different platform for my blog, and I can't decide if I like it or not.See also: tinkernot worth a tinker's curseCompletely worthless or useless; having little or no value. I was so excited when my grandfather said he'd give me his car, but this old clunker isn't worth a tinker's curse. Over the years working here, I've come to realize that the boss's word isn't worth a tinker's curse.See also: curse, not, wortha tinker's curserude slang That which has little or no value. Fred doesn't give a tinker's curse about what anyone else thinks of him. I was so excited when my grandfather said he'd give me his car, but this old clunker isn't worth a tinker's curse.See also: cursea tinker's damnrude slang That which has little or no value. Fred doesn't give a tinker's damn about what anyone else thinks of him. I was so excited when my grandfather said he'd give me his car, but this old clunker isn't worth a tinker's damn.See also: damnif ifs and ands were pots and pansA phrase that advises against wishing for impossible or absurd things to happen. The full phrase is, "If ifs and ands were pots and pans, there'd be no work for tinkers' hands." A: "If only my parents would give me a car, life would be so much easier." B: "Yeah, well, if ifs and ands were pots and pans, right?"See also: and, if, pan, potIf ifs and ands were pots and pans (there'd be no work for tinkers' hands).Prov. Wishing for things is useless. (Often said in reply to someone who says something beginning with "If only....") Daughter: If only we didn't have to move out of town, I'd be the happiest girl in the world. Grandmother: If ifs and ands were pots and pans, there'd be no work for tinkers' hands.See also: and, if, pan, potnot give a tinker's damnFig. not to care at all. (A tinker's damn or dam may be a worthless curse from a tinker or a small dam or barrier used to contain molten metal.) I don't give a tinker's damn whether you go or not!See also: damn, give, notnot worth a damnInf. worthless. This pen is not worth a damn. When it comes to keeping score, she's not worth a damn.See also: damn, not, worthtinker (around) (with something)to meddle with something; to play with something, trying to get it to work or work better. Let me tinker around with it for a while and see if I can get it to work. Please don't tinker with the controls.not worth a damnAlso, not worth a plugged nickel or red cent or bean or hill of beans or fig or straw or tinker's damn . Worthless, as in That car isn't worth a damn, or My new tennis racket is not worth a plugged nickel. As for the nouns here, a damn or curse is clearly of no great value (also see not give a damn); a plugged nickel in the 1800s referred to a debased five-cent coin; a cent denotes the smallest American coin, which was red when made of pure copper (1800s); a bean has been considered trivial or worthless since the late 1300s (Chaucer so used it), whereas hill of beans alludes to a planting method whereby four or five beans are put in a mound (and still are worthless); and both fig and straw have been items of no worth since about 1400. A tinker's dam, first recorded in 1877, was a wall of dough raised around a spot where a metal pipe is being repaired so as to hold solder in place until it hardens, whereupon the dam is discarded. However, tinker's damn was first recorded in 1839 and probably was merely an intensification of "not worth a damn," rather than having anything to do with the dam. See also: damn, not, worthtinker withTry to repair, work aimlessly or unskillfully with, as in He tinkered with the engine all day but it still wouldn't start. This idiom, first recorded in 1658, alludes to working as a tinker, that is, mending metal utensils. See also: tinkernot give a tinker's damn or not give a tinker's cuss INFORMAL, OLD-FASHIONEDIf you say that you don't give a tinker's damn or don't give a tinker's cuss about something or someone, you mean that you do not care about them at all. Most of these people couldn't give a tinker's damn about the students. For 50 weeks of the year, the great British public couldn't give a tinker's cuss about tennis. Note: You can also say that someone or something is not worth a tinker's damn when you think they are of no value. The real truth is you haven't been worth a tinker's damn all week.See also: damn, give, notnot worth a damn having no value or validity at all. informalSee also: damn, not, worthnot give (or care) a tinker's curse (or cuss or damn) not care at all. informal In former times, tinkers (itinerant menders of pots, pans, and other metal utensils) had a reputation for using bad language. The expression is often shortened to not give a tinker's . 1984 Patrick O'Brian The Far Side of the World When I was a squeaker nobody gave a tinker's curse whether my daily workings were right or wrong. See also: curse, give, nottinker aroundv. To make unskilled or experimental efforts at repair or improvement: I tinkered around with the toaster to see if I could fix it. On the weekends, they like to tinker around in the garage.See also: around, tinkertinker withv. To make unskilled or experimental efforts at repairing or improving something: I tinkered with the engine, hoping to discover the trouble.See also: tinkernot worth a damn mod. worthless. When it comes to keeping score, she’s not worth a damn. See also: damn, not, worthnot worth a (tinker's) damnWorthless. The catalog of similes signifying “without worth” is seemingly endless. This one, beginning life as “a tinker’s curse,” then became a tinker’s dam, a wall of dough raised around a place where a plumber is trying to repair a hole with solder. The dough holds the solder until it hardens and then is discarded. Misspelling turned it into damn and today “tinker” is usually omitted. (However, “damn” alone was also used in the eighteenth century.) Among the hundreds of similes denoting worthlessness that are still heard today are not worth a bean (see hill of beans); not worth a fig (also see under fig); not worth a button (thirteenth century); not worth a (brass) farthing (seventeenth century); not worth the paper it’s written on (usually applied to an IOU or bad check); not worth a pin (fifteenth century); not worth a plugged nickel (plug meant a debased coin; nineteenth century); not worth the powder to blow it up (nineteenth century); not worth a rap (a counterfeit half-penny circulating in Ireland in the early eighteenth century); not worth a red cent (the cent being the smallest American coin, red because it used to be made of pure copper; nineteenth century); not worth a straw (fourteenth century). See also worth one's salt.See also: damn, not, worthtinker's damnSomething of no value. Itinerant tinsmiths known as tinkers were roughand- ready men who saw no reason to watch their language. They swore so frequently that their curse words had no value for emphasis or anything else, and so something that was said to be worth a tinker's damn had no merit or value at all.See also: damntinker
tinker1. (esp formerly) a travelling mender of pots and pans 2. Scot and Irish another name for a Gypsy3. any of several small mackerels that occur off the North American coast of the Atlantic tinker
Synonyms for tinkerverb meddleSynonyms- meddle
- play
- toy
- monkey
- potter
- fiddle
- dabble
- mess about
- muck about
Synonyms for tinkerverb to handle something idly, ignorantly, or destructivelySynonyms- fiddle
- fool
- meddle
- mess
- tamper
- monkey
verb to move one's fingers or hands in a nervous or aimless fashionSynonyms- fiddle
- fidget
- fool
- monkey
- play
- putter
- toy
- trifle
- twiddle
Synonyms for tinkernoun a person who enjoys fixing and experimenting with machines and their partsSynonymsRelated Wordsnoun formerly a person (traditionally a Gypsy) who traveled from place to place mending pots and kettles and other metal utensils as a way to earn a livingRelated Wordsnoun small mackerel found nearly worldwideSynonyms- chub mackerel
- Scomber japonicus
Related Words- mackerel
- genus Scomber
- Scomber
verb do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idlySynonyms- monkey around
- muck about
- muck around
- potter
- mess around
- monkey
- putter
Related Wordsverb work as a tinker or tinkererRelated Wordsverb try to fix or mendSynonymsRelated Words- fix
- furbish up
- mend
- repair
- bushel
- doctor
- touch on
- restore
|