沒想過單是寫手指,也可以寫成一本書:
The Finger: A Handbook, by Angus Trumble
讀上期《經濟學人》的書介,有幾點頗有趣:
* 豎中指 (give someone the finger) 這個粗口手勢,中在古希臘的著作中出現,年代久遠!
* 原來滑鼠那個手指指圖案 (manicule),源自羅馬人的「低B」發現!
* 原來塗指甲從前是非主流活動?!
翻翻牛津字典,關於手指的英諺確實不少:
the finger of suspicion (嫌疑犯)
get/pull your finger out (叫人俾心機做嘢)
have a finger in every pie (樣樣都搞吓,好容易搞到人好煩架!)
have your fingers in the till (穿櫃筒底)
have/keep your finger on the pulse (緊貼最新資訊)
lay a finger on somebody (想傷害某人)
not put your finger on something (不知道有甚麼不對勁)
put/stick two fingers up at somebody (另一不文手勢,用來表示憤怒)
work your fingers to the bone (勤力是好事,但做到手指見骨又何必呢?謹記《動物農莊》裡馬兒的悲慘下場!)
my understanding is that "lay a finger on somebody" is also used only in the negative and the interrogative, like "put a finger on something".
回覆刪除想起漢文的「染指」,其實也非好事,只是現在人們都當成正面詞……
回覆刪除[版主回覆06/05/2010 20:00:00]總覺得是因為人變得是非黑白不分,用語才會不理褒貶