英语词汇dandelion的起源、历史背景-英语词源词典

dandelion. “Lion’s tooth”—referring to the plant’s indented leaf—was the old English name for this flower, but apparently some language snob gave it the French name dent de lion in the 16th century. Since the French dent de was pronounced dan de, the word soon became dandelion. Another theory is that the dandelion’s name derives not from its indented leaves, but from its huge, white, toothlike root. In modern French the dandelion is called pissenlit, or “wet-the-bed,” from the belief that eating dandelion greens at dinner results in nocturnal bedwetting. “If you can’t beat ’em, eat ’em” is a phrase that has been applied over the years to the gardener’s perennial battle against weeds, most recently by Dr. James Duke, a botanist at the U.S. Depart- ment of Agriculture. Dr. Duke, quoted in Anne Raver’s garden- ing column in the New York Times, made the remark specifically in reference to dandelions, which make a dandy salad and wine, among other comestibles. But the words have been applied to garden insects as well. The best example is a little book by En- glish farmer V. M. Holt entitled Why Not Eat Insects (1885). “The insects eat up every blessed green thing that do grow and us farmers starve,” Holt reasoned. “Well, eat them and grow fat.” He then proceeded to give a series of appropriate recipes, including “Fried soles with woodlouse sauce,” “curried cock- chafers,” “fricasse of chicken with chrysalids,” “boiled neck of mutton with wireworm sauce,” “cauliflowers garnished with caterpillars,” and “moths on toast.” Nutritionists today say that insects could be a useful protein supplement to the human diet. Locusts, for example, are said to be about 75 percent protein and 20 percent fat, as well as being rich in some vitamins.

词汇	dandelion
词源	dandelion. “Lion’s tooth”—referring to the plant’s indented leaf—was the old English name for this flower, but apparently some language snob gave it the French name dent de lion in the 16th century. Since the French dent de was pronounced dan de, the word soon became dandelion. Another theory is that the dandelion’s name derives not from its indented leaves, but from its huge, white, toothlike root. In modern French the dandelion is called pissenlit, or “wet-the-bed,” from the belief that eating dandelion greens at dinner results in nocturnal bedwetting. “If you can’t beat ’em, eat ’em” is a phrase that has been applied over the years to the gardener’s perennial battle against weeds, most recently by Dr. James Duke, a botanist at the U.S. Depart- ment of Agriculture. Dr. Duke, quoted in Anne Raver’s garden- ing column in the New York Times, made the remark specifically in reference to dandelions, which make a dandy salad and wine, among other comestibles. But the words have been applied to garden insects as well. The best example is a little book by En- glish farmer V. M. Holt entitled Why Not Eat Insects (1885). “The insects eat up every blessed green thing that do grow and us farmers starve,” Holt reasoned. “Well, eat them and grow fat.” He then proceeded to give a series of appropriate recipes, including “Fried soles with woodlouse sauce,” “curried cock- chafers,” “fricasse of chicken with chrysalids,” “boiled neck of mutton with wireworm sauce,” “cauliflowers garnished with caterpillars,” and “moths on toast.” Nutritionists today say that insects could be a useful protein supplement to the human diet. Locusts, for example, are said to be about 75 percent protein and 20 percent fat, as well as being rich in some vitamins.
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