well-heeled的词源

英文词源

well-heeled (adj.)

"well-off, having much money, in good circumstances;" also "well-equipped," 1872, American English slang (originally in the "money" sense), from well (adv.) + colloquial sense of heeled. "[A]pplied to a player at cards who has a good hand, to a person who possesses plenty of money, or to a man who is well armed" [Century Dictionary]. From 1817 in a literal sense, in reference to shoes.

中文词源

well-heeled：有钱的；富有的

该词源于斗鸡（cockfight），原指给斗鸡（fighting cock）的脚上缚有距铁（equipped with spurs at its heels），以后转喻“带着枪的”（armed with a gun），“有很多武器的”（well provided with weapons），到19世纪末开始用于今义“有钱的”（well provided with money）或“富裕的”（well off），并一直沿用至今，因为人们认为有钱比有枪更安全。

另有一种说法，一个贫困者穿的鞋往往后跟磨损得很厉害，英语可用down at heel（后跟磨掉的）一语来形容，那么一个舍得在鞋子上花钱，把鞋跟钉得很好的有钱人，用well-heeled来表示就自然不过了。

该词的英语词源请访问找单词词源英文版：well-heeled 词源，well-heeled 含义。