get down to brass tacks

英语

词源

不详。字面意思是“黄铜钉子”。最早记录出现于1863年美国德克萨斯。一个理论认为，其源自五金店或布店的柜台上用来以准确单位量布的黄铜钉子（而不是用一边放在鼻子前，另一边放在伸长的手臂上来近似量出一码）。还有一种说法是，其源自19世纪通行于美国的用黄铜钉子在棺材上写出死者名字的做法。再有一种说法是，美国西部早期用黄铜钉子来装饰枪托的习惯。用黄铜是因为其不会生锈而且易于抛光。根据作家Stanley Vestal的说法，“钉在步枪上的黄铜钉子记录了死在枪口下的受害者的数量。黄铜钉子。”

发音

• （澳洲）音频：

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动词

get down to brass tacks (第三人称单数简单现在时 gets down to brass tacks，现在分词 getting down to brass tacks，过去式 got down to brass tacks，过去分词 gotten down to brass tacks 或 got down to brass tacks)

1. (俗语，主要用于美国) 开始讨论要点
   • 1863, January 21, 1863, The Tri-Weekly Telegraph, newspaper of Houston, Texas

     When you come down to brass tacks – if we may be allowed the expression – everybody is governed by selfishness.

   • Template:RQ:Doyle Land of Mist
   • 1935, Clifford Odets, Waiting for Lefty

     That's no answer. Get down to brass tacks.

   • 1972, Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream

     Let's get down to brass tacks here. How much for the ape?

   • 1979, Stephen King, The Dead Zone

     We're gonna stop playing games with these Arabs and get down to brass tacks!

   • 1994, Quentin Tarantino, Roger Avary, Pulp Fiction, 角色 The Wolf（Harvey Keitel）:

     You must be Jules, which would make you Vincent. Let's get down to brass tacks, gentlemen. If I was informed correctly, the clock is ticking. Is that right, Jimmie?

     （请为本引文添加中文翻译）

   • 2023年4月2日, Pippa Crerar, Robyn Vinter, 引 Lisa Nandy, “Suella Braverman denies Brexit to blame for Dover queues of 14 hours”, 出自 The Guardian‎^[1], →ISSN:

     And if the government got a grip, got down to brass tacks and started doing their actual job, all these things could be avoided.

     （请为本引文添加中文翻译）

近义词

• drill down
• get down to bedrock
• get down to business
• get down to cases, get right down to cases
• get down to the nitty-gritty
• get down to nuts and bolts
• roll up one's sleeves
• cut to the chase

参考资料

• Template:R:BBS