| 词源 |
on the cuff. On the cuff apparently arose at the turn of the century. Since bartenders commonly wore starched white cuffs at the time, the theory that our term for “on credit” derives from bartenders jotting down the debts of patrons on their cuffs during the rush of business is an appealing one. On the arm probably derives from on the cuff, while off the cuff, unre- hearsed or extemporaneous, may come from impromptu notes early Hollywood directors jotted down on their cuffs while shooting a difficult scene in a movie. These ideas, not in the script, were conveyed to the actors when the scene was reshot. |