字幕列表 影片播放 列印英文字幕 Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Idioms 297. The idiom today is by hook or by crook. Okay. Let's take a look at the note here. If someone says that he or she will do something by hook or by crook, he or she means they will do it in any way possible. Either in a fair way or an unfair way, or by legal or illegal means. It especially suggests that one is willing to cross the line and do something illegal or immoral just to make sure that they can get this thing because they want it that badly or they need to get it that badly. So they'll do it by hook or by crook. Either way they would probably prefer to, prefer to do it legally or you know, in a fair way but if they couldn't they have no problem with doing it in the unfair way or the illegal way. All right. Let's continue. There are a few theories about the origin but several are questionable. Some of the others are questionable, especially because the the dates are a little late. You know I think the phrase was around before that time and there was hardly anything to back them up. So this one I think is probably the best one. So let's let's continue here. The one that seems to be the most likely refers back to a custom during the 1300s or 1400s in which commoners ... you know like when there's a king. The regular people referred to as commoners were allowed to take deadwood from the Kings forest. Technically , it was believed to be the king ... it was believed the King owed the forest. The whole forest including the trees and anything in it. the king was gracious enough you know, generous, enough nice enough, to allow the peasants to take that wood for firewood. So they take this wood that's already dead and they can use it to heat their homes. Most peasants would pull down the wood with a Reapers billhook. You know, like the reaper you know the grim reaper. So like one of those. Or a shepherd's crook. Yeah. If you ever seen the old shepherd you know, yeah. He has kind of that staff That goes around and kind of curves. So they might use either one of those two. Thus the term by hook or crook was born. So either by the billhook or the shepherd's crook. Okay. And we just have a couple of examples here. That political party is trying to find a way to take down the president by hook or by crook. Yeah. If they could try to make it a legal way, they'll do that. But if they can't they have no problems crossing the line and maybe doing it in an unfair or illegal way. Or again number two. That host country for the Olympics wants to make sure they will win a large amount of medals. Yeah. Most countries that hold the Olympics, they want to do well because you know they're in front of their own people. So they usually try harder to make sure that they get more medals that time than they normally would. Either by hook or by crook. They are seriously training their athletes. Maybe they're putting more money into it to compete but they are also willing to bribe judges if necessary. So they're willing to do it by hook or by crook. Okay. Anyway, I hope you got it. I hope it was clear. Thank you for your time. Bye-bye.
B1 中級 美國腔 英語導師Nick P 成語故事(297) 巧婦難為無米之炊。 (English Tutor Nick P Idioms (297) By Hook or By Crook) 10 0 anitawu12 發佈於 2021 年 01 月 14 日 更多分享 分享 收藏 回報 影片單字