Peeping Tom

As the story goes, the Earl of Coventry would only grant his wife Lady Godiva’s request to relieve the people of a heavy tax burden if she streaked naked on horseback through town (totally logical!). As she gallantly streaked by, only one historic perv could not avert his eyes: Tom. Thus, “Peeping Tom” was born. Luckily, historic justice was served: Legend has it Tom was cast blind before he could see anything.

有個故事說，考文垂的伯爵答應他的妻子：如果她敢裸體騎馬過街，就給平民免稅。在她騎馬飛奔經過時，只有一個人忍不住偷看，這個人叫Tom。the peeping Tom 偷窺後受到天懲瞎了眼。後來，所有的偷窺狂都稱為 the Peeping Toms。

例如：

The police caught a Peeping Tom right outside their house.

警察在屋外把偷窺狂逮個正著。

（every/any）Tom, Dick or Harry

The earliest known citation is from the 17th-century English theologian John Owen who used the words in 1657. Owen told a governing body at Oxford University that "our critical situation and our common interests were discussed out of journals and newspapers by every Tom, Dick and Harry."

最早用這個詞的是17世紀英國神學家John Owen，1657年Owen對牛津大學的管理者說：“現在討論我們迫切形勢和共同利益的，不是報紙雜誌，而是一些無足輕重的人。”Tom, Dick and Harry用來指“任何人”、“隨便什麼人”。相當於我們說“阿貓阿狗的人”。

例如：

The golf club is very exclusive. They don't let any Tom, Dick, or Harry join.

高爾夫俱樂部是不對外的。不是什麼人都能加入。

An Uncle Tom

First Known Use: 1852. Uncle Tom is a pious and faithful black slave in Uncle Tom's Cabin (1851–52) by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Uncle Tom is an insulting word for a black person who the speaker thinks shows too much respect for white people. This word is used especially by other black people.

最早出自Harriet Beecher Stowe的小說《湯姆大叔的小屋》，Uncle Tom是一個虔誠的、忠實的黑奴。Uncle Tom由此成為一個帶有羞辱性的詞，指那些討好白人的黑人。使用此意的，以其他黑人居多。（也引申為“攀附權勢的人”）

例如：

To many Asian-Americans, Charlie Chan is an offensive stereotype, another sort of Uncle Tom.

對於很多亞裔美國人來說，陳查理是個令人討厭的老牌人物，湯姆大叔的另一版本。

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關鍵字: 俚語 教育 偷窺狂

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