woodshed

something nasty in the woodshed a shocking or distasteful thing kept secret. British informal

☞ This expression is taken from Stella Gibbons's comic novel Cold Comfort Farm (1933), in which Aunt Ada Doom's dominance over her family is maintained by constant references to her having seen something nasty in the woodshed in her youth. The details of the experience are never explained.

take someone to the woodshed reprove or punish someone, especially discreetly. US informal, dated

☞ This expression referred to the former practice of taking a naughty child to a woodshed to be punished, out of sight of other people.

词组	woodshed
释义	woodshed something nasty in the woodshed a shocking or distasteful thing kept secret. British informal ☞ This expression is taken from Stella Gibbons's comic novel Cold Comfort Farm (1933), in which Aunt Ada Doom's dominance over her family is maintained by constant references to her having seen something nasty in the woodshed in her youth. The details of the experience are never explained. take someone to the woodshed reprove or punish someone, especially discreetly. US informal, dated ☞ This expression referred to the former practice of taking a naughty child to a woodshed to be punished, out of sight of other people.
随便看	cut (or pare) something to the bone cut (or tear) something to ribbons cut someone adrift cut someone dead cut someone down in their prime cut someone down to size cut someone off in their prime cut someone off (or down) in their prime cut someone or something off at the pass cut someone some slack cut someone to the quick cut something to ribbons cut something to the bone cut the cackle cut the cord cut the crap cut the Gordian knot cut the gordian knot cut the ground from under someone's feet cut the knot cut the mustard cut the ribbon cut the rug cut things fine cut to the chase