英语词汇lily-livered的起源、历史背景-英语词源词典

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.
随便看	you can’t cod me you can’t con me you can’t have your cake and eat it too you can’t judge a book by its cover you can’t keep a squirrel on the ground you can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow-s ear you can’t win ’em all you could have heard a pin drop you couldn’t detect my interest with a high-powered telescope you don’t have money give yourself volunteer you don’t want to go there you furnish the pictures and i’ll furnish the war you gotta believe you have money give money you have the words but you don’t have the music you know it makes one feel rather good deciding not to be a bitch you might as well appeal against the thunderstorm you never miss the water till the well runs dry youngberry young folk of the pear garden young in at heart young turk young whippersnapper you pays your money and you take your choice

英语词源词典收录了13259条英语词源词条，基本涵盖了全部常用英语词汇的起源、历史，是研究英语词汇或通过词源学英语的必备工具。