get down to brass tacks

英語

詞源

不詳。字面意思是「黃銅釘子」。最早記錄出現於1863年美國德克薩斯。一個理論認為，其源自五金店或布店的櫃檯上用來以準確單位量布的黃銅釘子（而不是用一邊放在鼻子前，另一邊放在伸長的手臂上來近似量出一碼）。還有一種說法是，其源自19世紀通行於美國的用黃銅釘子在棺材上寫出死者名字的做法。再有一種說法是，美國西部早期用黃銅釘子來裝飾槍托的習慣。用黃銅是因為其不會生鏽而且易於拋光。根據作家Stanley Vestal的說法，「釘在步槍上的黃銅釘子記錄了死在槍口下的受害者的數量。黃銅釘子。」

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動詞

get down to brass tacks (第三人稱單數簡單現在時 gets down to brass tacks，現在分詞 getting down to brass tacks，過去式 got down to brass tacks，過去分詞 gotten down to brass tacks 或 got down to brass tacks)

1. (俗語，主要用於美國) 開始討論要點
   • 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?

     （請為本引文添加中文翻譯）

   • 2023 4月 2, 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.

     （請為本引文添加中文翻譯）

近義詞

• 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

參考資料

• Template:R:BBS