| 释义 |
something is rotten in the state of Denmark something is rotten in (the state of) DenmarkSomething strange or suspicious is going on. The line comes from Shakespeare's Hamlet. Why is Katherine being so nice to me all of a sudden? I'm telling you, something is rotten in the state of Denmark.See also: Denmark, rotten, something, statesomething is rotten in the state of DenmarkSomething is seriously amiss; there is a smell of corruption. This expression is a direct quotation from Shakespeare’s Hamlet (4.1). Eric Partridge suggested that rotten was originally an analogy to cheese, for which Denmark has long been famous, and that possibly the expression was a catchphrase even when Shakespeare used it.See also: Denmark, of, rotten, something, state |