| 释义 |
stickybeak Austral. and N.Z. colloq.|ˈstɪkɪbiːk|
Also sticky-beak.
[f. sticky a.2 + beak n.1]
An inquisitive person; one who sticks his nose into others' affairs, a Nosey Parker. Also attrib.
1920B. Cronin Timber Wolves ix. 159 I've told the girls to give out that we've gone fishing, if any stickybeaks get to asking why we ain't visible no more. 1934Bulletin (Sydney) 7 Feb. 10/1 One objection to ‘party’ telephone lines is the stickybeak subscriber. 1936M. Franklin All that Swagger xlix. 442 Fortunately such ‘sticky-beaks’ were few. 1948D. W. Ballantyne Cunninghams i. v. 24 He wasn't like those other stickybeak kids, he reckoned. 1965R. McKie Company of Animals i. 30 Fire is a strange thing to a jungle elephant. It's foreign. And because it's foreign and he's a stickybeak, he investigates. 1970K. Benton Sole Agent vi. 69 She rang me up, she did, the stick-beak, the prying old cow!
Hence ˈstickybeak, sticky-beak v. intr., to pry, to snoop; ˈstickybeaking vbl. n.
1934Bulletin (Sydney) 12 Sept. 20/2 Special traps were set outside for any crocs. that might stickybeak. 1945L. Glassop We were Rats ii. xi. 65 You deny me the right to think as I like... You must prod, and pry, and sticky⁓beak. 1966P. Carlon Running Woman xv. 144, I paused on my way back, looking at those houses. Such a temptation..to sticky-beak. 1969Coast to Coast 1967–68 9 Mind your own business... I don't have to put up with you and your stick-beaking into my affairs. |
