| 词源 |
taper off. A taper, or candle, gradually diminishes in thick- ness from the base to the tip. This image suggested the term to taper off to Englishmen of the early 19th century. Like the can- dle growing smaller by degrees, anything becoming gradually less in intensity was said to taper off. The words were especially applied to shedding an established habit by degrees, usually to tapering off from the habit of hard drinking. |