| 词源 |
go to the devil. The Devil Tavern was one of the most famous taverns in London, standing in Fleet Street and taking its name from its sign, which showed the devil tweaking St. Dunstan’s nose. The tavern was a favorite hangout for lawyers, and 17th- century wits spread the story that whenever a lawyer was wanted and couldn’t be found in his offices, his clerk would tell the client to “go to the Devil.” This has been suggested as the source of the above phrase, but is not to be believed. To go to the devil, “to go to ruin or hell,” dates back to at least 1384, and there are many examples of its use through the centuries. William Caxton, for example, wrote: “Let them go to a hundred thousand devils!” |