| 词源 |
toady. The toady was in the 17th century a toad-eater, a con- juror’s assistant who would eat a toad (said to be poisonous) so that his master could demonstrate his magic healing powers. Anyone who would eat a toad was considered so low that the word became a contemptible term for a sycophant. By the early 18th century toad-eater had been replaced by the shorter toady. |