英语词汇an ax to grind的起源、历史背景-英语词源词典

an ax to grind. In the tale “Who’ll Turn Grindstones” a man carrying a dull ax compliments a boy on his intelligence and good looks and then asks him if he can borrow his father’s grindstone. Flattered, the boy says yes, and then the man pro- ceeds to tell him how strong he looks for his age. The boy falls for all this flattery, and to demonstrate his strength keeps turn- ing the grindstone until the dull ax is as sharp as a razor. Then the man goes off without so much as thanking the boy. The au- thor concludes his story with the observation: “When I see a merchant overpolite to his customers, begging them to taste a little brandy and throwing half his goods on the counter— thinks I, that man has an axe to grind.” Ben Franklin is fre- quently credited with this yarn, thought responsible for the ex- pression meaning to flatter a person while seeking a favor from him, but perhaps the credit should go to Charles Miner (1780– 1865), who related this incident from his childhood in the col- umns of the Wilkes-Barre Gleaner (1811). The phrase an ax to grind has since the publication of his story become widely syn- onymous for an ulterior motive.

词汇	an ax to grind
词源	an ax to grind. In the tale “Who’ll Turn Grindstones” a man carrying a dull ax compliments a boy on his intelligence and good looks and then asks him if he can borrow his father’s grindstone. Flattered, the boy says yes, and then the man pro- ceeds to tell him how strong he looks for his age. The boy falls for all this flattery, and to demonstrate his strength keeps turn- ing the grindstone until the dull ax is as sharp as a razor. Then the man goes off without so much as thanking the boy. The au- thor concludes his story with the observation: “When I see a merchant overpolite to his customers, begging them to taste a little brandy and throwing half his goods on the counter— thinks I, that man has an axe to grind.” Ben Franklin is fre- quently credited with this yarn, thought responsible for the ex- pression meaning to flatter a person while seeking a favor from him, but perhaps the credit should go to Charles Miner (1780– 1865), who related this incident from his childhood in the col- umns of the Wilkes-Barre Gleaner (1811). The phrase an ax to grind has since the publication of his story become widely syn- onymous for an ulterior motive.
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