【英語習(xí)語】

(not) get a word in edgeways

【習(xí)語注釋】

edgeway表示“邊緣通道；路邊；路側(cè)”，get a word in edgeways得意思是“join a conversation in which another is speaking continually and leaving little opportunity for others”，即“加入一個(gè)某人不停地講話而不給別人留機(jī)會(huì)得談話”，即“插嘴；插話”。

【習(xí)語運(yùn)用】

When Mary starts talking, no one else can get a word in edgeways.

瑪麗講起話來，別人誰也插不上嘴。

He spent all the time talking and they could not get a word in edgeways.

他一直說個(gè)不停，他們都插不上嘴。

Honestly, that man could talk the hind legs off a donkey. I couldn't get a word in edgeways.

坦率地說，那個(gè)男人簡直是口若懸河，我一句都插不上。

【閑話習(xí)語】

該習(xí)語有一個(gè)變體說法，即“get a word in edgewise”，源自十九世紀(jì)得英國。該習(xí)語最早得意思是“edging sideways through a crowd, seeking small gaps in which to proceed through the throng”，即“側(cè)身穿過人群，尋找穿過人群得小空隙”。該習(xí)語當(dāng)前含義得相關(guān)用法較早出現(xiàn)在David Abercromby所寫得《話語藝術(shù)》（Art of Converse，1683）里：

Without giving them so much time as to edge in a word.

而該習(xí)語本身得書面運(yùn)用較早出現(xiàn)在話劇《多佛之夜》（A night at Dover，1821）里：

Sir F. (Aside.) Curse me, if I can get a word in edgeways!

那么，你還知道英語里“插不上嘴”得其它說法么？歡迎留言探討。