英语词汇lily-livered的起源、历史背景-英语词源词典

lily-livered. The liver, the largest gland in our bodies, was once believed to be the seat of passion. It was also believed that the liver of a coward contained no blood, not as much “as you find in the foot of a flea,” since a coward wasn’t capable of pas- sionate violence. Hence the expression white-livered and lily- livered for cowardly. Shakespeare wrote of cowards with “livers white as milk” and later came lusty expressions such as “a lily- livered, action-taking knave.” See learn by heart; bowels of compassion.

词汇	lily-livered
词源	lily-livered. The liver, the largest gland in our bodies, was once believed to be the seat of passion. It was also believed that the liver of a coward contained no blood, not as much “as you find in the foot of a flea,” since a coward wasn’t capable of pas- sionate violence. Hence the expression white-livered and lily- livered for cowardly. Shakespeare wrote of cowards with “livers white as milk” and later came lusty expressions such as “a lily- livered, action-taking knave.” See learn by heart; bowels of compassion.
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