| 释义 |
bell the cat
bell 1 B0023700 (bĕl)n.1. A hollow metal musical instrument, usually cup-shaped with a flared opening, that emits a metallic tone when struck.2. Something resembling such an instrument in shape or sound, as:a. The round, flared opening of a wind instrument at the opposite end from the mouthpiece.b. bells A percussion instrument consisting of metal tubes or bars that emit tones when struck.c. A hollow, usually inverted vessel, such as one used for diving deep below the surface of a body of water.d. The corolla of a flower: "In a cowslip's bell I lie" (Shakespeare).e. The body of a jellyfish.3. Nautical a. A stroke on a hollow metal instrument to mark the hour.b. The time indicated by the striking of this instrument, divided into half hours.v. belled, bell·ing, bells v.tr.1. To put a bell on.2. To cause to flare like a bell.v.intr. To assume the form of a bell; flare.Idiom: bell the cat To perform a daring act.
[Middle English belle, from Old English.]
bell 2 B0023700 (bĕl)n. The bellowing or baying cry of certain animals, such as a deer in rut or a beagle on the hunt.intr.v. belled, bell·ing, bells To utter long, deep, resonant sounds; bellow.
[From Middle English bellen, to bellow, from Old English bellan.]Thesaurus| Verb | 1. |  bell the cat - take a risk; perform a daring act; "Who is going to bell the cat?"lay on the line, put on the line, risk - expose to a chance of loss or damage; "We risked losing a lot of money in this venture"; "Why risk your life?"; "She laid her job on the line when she told the boss that he was wrong" |
bell the cat
bell the catTo undertake or agree to perform a risky, dangerous, or impossible job or task. It comes from a fable (often and likely incorrectly attributed to Aesop) called "Belling the Cat," in which a group of mice decide that one will harness a bell to a murderous cat so that its jingle will warn them of its presence, though none want to take on the dangerous role. Someone has to bell the cat and tell the boss we aren't going to come in to work on Saturdays anymore. Who's going to bell the cat and tell mom we wrecked her car?See also: bell, catbell the cat take the danger of a shared enterprise upon yourself. Bell the cat alludes to the fable in which mice or rats have the idea of hanging a bell around the cat's neck so as to have warning of its approach, the only difficulty being to find one of their number willing to undertake the task.See also: bell, cat bell the cat To perform a daring act.See also: bell, catbell the catTo put yourself in a dangerous position. The phrase comes from one of Aesop's fables: The Mice held a general council to consider what measures they could take to outwit their common enemy, the Cat. After a general discussion, a young Mouse rose to present a proposal. “You will all agree,” he said, “that our chief danger consists in the sly and treacherous manner in which the enemy approaches us. Now, if we could receive some signal of her approach, we could easily escape. I venture, therefore, to propose that a small bell be procured, and attached by a ribbon round the Cat's neck. By this means we should always know when she was about, and could easily retire while she was in the neighborhood.” This proposal met with general applause, until an old Mouse rose to ask, “That is all very well, but who is to bell the Cat?” The Mice looked at one another, but none spoke, whereupon the old Mouse smiled and commented, “It is easy to propose impossible remedies."See also: bell, catEncyclopediaSeebellFinancialSeeBellbell the cat
Words related to bell the catverb take a riskRelated Words- lay on the line
- put on the line
- risk
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