| 释义 |
Dutch uncle
Dutch unclen. A stern, candid critic or adviser.Dutch uncle n informal a person who criticizes or reproves frankly and severely Dutch′ un′cle
n. a person, often a mentor or advisor, who criticizes or reproves with unsparing severity and frankness. [1820–30] Thesaurus| Noun | 1. | Dutch uncle - a counselor who admonishes frankly and sternlycounselor, counsellor - someone who gives advice about problems |
Dutch uncle
Dutch uncleOne who addresses someone severely or critically. Fred is always lecturing me like a Dutch uncle, forgetting the fact that I'm 40 years old!See also: Dutch, uncleDutch unclea man who gives frank and direct advice to someone. (In the way an uncle might, but not a real relative.) I would not have to lecture you like a Dutch uncle if you were not so extravagant. He acts more like a Dutch uncle than a husband. He's forever telling her what to do in public.See also: Dutch, uncleDutch uncleA stern, candid critic or adviser, as in When I got in trouble with the teacher again, the principal talked to me like a Dutch uncle . This expression, often put as talk to one like a Dutch uncle, presumably alludes to the sternness and sobriety attributed to the Dutch. [Early 1800s] See also: Dutch, unclea Dutch uncle a kindly but authoritative figure. Dutch here probably means no more than that the person described is not a genuine blood relation. In the mid 19th century I will talk to him like a Dutch uncle (meaning ‘I will give him a lecture’) was noted as being an American expression. 1999 Daily Telegraph She was the kindest of Dutch uncles, always prepared to listen to one's troubles. See also: Dutch, uncleDutch uncle, talk (to one) like aA person who reproves or criticizes someone severely. Dating from the early nineteenth century, the term appeared in print in Joseph C. Neal’s Charcoal Sketches (1837). The precise origin is not known, but it is probably safe to presume that the Dutch were considered a stern, sober people, admirably suited to giving someone a talking-to in no uncertain terms.See also: Dutch, like, talkDutch uncle
Dutch unclestrict elder who scolds and moralizes. [Br. Slang: Lurie, 122–123]See: CriticismDutch uncle
Words related to Dutch unclenoun a counselor who admonishes frankly and sternlyRelated Words |