英语词汇lick into shape的起源、历史背景-英语词源词典

—The pylgremage of the sowle, 1400 For at least 10 centuries people believed that bear cubs were born just formless masses of grotesque flesh and that both Mama and Poppa Bear took turns literally licking them into shape. No one debunked this legend for so long because bears usually keep their cubs hidden for a month or so after their birth, and any debunker who ventured into a bear den in search of evidence probably didn’t come out to do his debunk- ing. So the story was widely believed—by Pliny, Montaigne, Shakespeare—up until and even after the discovery of America. By the time the marvelous tale was disproved the expression lick into shape, “make ready, make presentable,” had gained a per- manent place in the language. The name for a young bear, one that hasn’t ever been licked into shape by its mother, is an un- licked cub.

词汇	lick into shape
词源	lick into shape. Beres ben brought forth al fowle and transformyd and after that by lyckynge of the fader and moder they ben brought in to theyr kyndely shap. —The pylgremage of the sowle, 1400 For at least 10 centuries people believed that bear cubs were born just formless masses of grotesque flesh and that both Mama and Poppa Bear took turns literally licking them into shape. No one debunked this legend for so long because bears usually keep their cubs hidden for a month or so after their birth, and any debunker who ventured into a bear den in search of evidence probably didn’t come out to do his debunk- ing. So the story was widely believed—by Pliny, Montaigne, Shakespeare—up until and even after the discovery of America. By the time the marvelous tale was disproved the expression lick into shape, “make ready, make presentable,” had gained a per- manent place in the language. The name for a young bear, one that hasn’t ever been licked into shape by its mother, is an un- licked cub.
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