| 词组 | weaseling |
| 释义 | weaseling ⇨ weaseling; weasellingnoun extracting gratuities. Used by railway porters UK, 1970you weaselYou sneaky person. You weasel! I can't believe you stole the song I was going to do for the audition! catch a weasel asleepTo surprise someone who is normally alert, shrewd, or on-guard. Primarily heard in US. You want to try to steal your transcript from the principal's office? You never catch a weasel asleep—and especially not that one! weasel wordsLanguage employed to avoid directly stating a position or answering a question, or to enhance the appearance of something. Wikipedia discourages the use of weasel words in its encyclopedia entries to decrease the possibility of bias. If you read the transcript of his press conference, you'll see that there's barely any substances—it's nearly all weasel words. weasel out (of something)1. To squeeze out of a narrow space; to slink out (of something). It's a bit tight, but I think I can weasel out of this part of the cave. Stevie got stuck in the tunnel at the playground, but he was eventually able to weasel out. 2. To avoid a situation or responsibility through sly or devious means. Oh no, you're not weaseling out of doing the dishes this time. You can help Grandma later. 3. To elicit something from someone through sly or devious means. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "weasel" and "out." The reporter was known for being able to weasel information out of just about anyone she spoke to. I tried to refuse but eventually they weaseled a donation out of me. weasel out(of something)1. Fig. to squeeze one's way out of something. Somehow, the child managed to weasel out of the hole she was stuck in. The mouse tried to weasel out. 2. Fig. to evade or avoid a job or responsibility. (Fig. on {2}.) Don't try to weasel out of your responsibility! You can't weasel out! You have to do it. weasel outBack out of a situation or commitment, especially in a sneaky way. For example, I'd love to weasel out of serving on the board. This expression alludes to the stealthy hunting and nesting habits of the weasel, a small, slender-bodied predator. [Colloquial; mid-1900s] weasel wordA word used to deprive a statement of its force or evade a direct commitment, as in Calling it "organized spontaneity" is using a weasel word; "organized" has sucked the meaning out of "spontaneity." This idiom may allude to the weasel's habit of sucking the contents out of a bird's egg, so that only the shell remains. [Late 1800s] weasel outv. Slang 1. To back out of some situation or commitment in a selfish or sly manner: The party was boring—you were smart to weasel out early. My cousins weaseled out of contributing to the gift. 2. weasel out of To elicit something from someone by artful or devious means: At first, they wouldn't admit that they were to blame, but I weaseled the truth out of them. weasel1. n. a sneaky person. If Fred weren’t such a weasel, we could get along better. 2. n. an earnest student. (Collegiate.) Martin is your classic weasel. weasel out of something in. to get out of doing something; to wiggle out of a responsibility. I know how to weasel out of something like that. You get a headache. weasel wordA word that takes away the meaning from a statement, just as a weasel sucks the meat from an egg. The term dates from about 1900 and was popularized by Theodore Roosevelt. In a 1916 speech criticizing President Woodrow Wilson, Roosevelt said, “You can have universal training or you can have voluntary training but when you use the word ‘voluntary’ to qualify the word ‘universal’ you are using a weasel word; it has sucked all the meaning out of ‘universal.’ The two words flatly contradict one another.” |
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