highfalutin 或 hi.fa.lu.tin
adj.Informal (形容词)【非正式用语】 Pompous or pretentious:夸张的,目空一切的:例句:.highfalutin reasons for denying direct federal assistance to the unemployed.(Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.).拒绝联邦政府对失业人员直接援助的自大的理由.(小阿瑟M.施莱辛格)
来源:[Origin unknown] [词源未知]
<注释>H.L. Mencken, in his famous bookThe American Language, mentions highfalutin as an example of the many native U.S. words coined during the 9th-century period of vigorous growth. Althoughhighfalutin is characteristic of American folk speech, it is not a true regionalismbecause it has always occurred in all regions of the country,with its use and popularity spurred by its appearance in print.The origin ofhighfalutin, like that of many folk expressions, is obscure. It has been suggested that the second element,-falutin, comes from the verbflute —hence high-fluting, a comical indictment of one who thinks too highly of oneself. H.L.曼肯,在其名著美国的语言 一书中指出, highfalutin 一词是众多的创造于9世纪迅速成长时期的美国本土的词汇的一个例子。 尽管highfalutin 一词是典型的美国民间用语, 但它不是方言土语,因为它总是出现在国家的各个地区。出现在印刷品上更促进了它的使用。highfalutin 一词的起源,象许多民间表达方式一样不为人所知, 曾有人说该词的第二词素-falutin, 来源于动词flute ——由此 high-fluting, 特指太自高自大的人 注释>