喜樂美語

核心畫面

Start with the plain thing: the meat of a cow on a plate — the heavy, filling part of a meal, the bit you actually came for. Two very different American slang uses hang off this word: 'the beef' as the solid content of something, and 'a beef' as a complaint. The first follows from the picture; the second is not clearly connected to meat at all.

先抓住最實在的那個東西：盤子裡的牛肉——一餐裡最有份量、最讓人吃飽的部分，你就是為它來的。這個字上面掛了兩種美式口語…更多收起先抓住最實在的那個東西：盤子裡的牛肉——一餐裡最有份量、最讓人吃飽的部分，你就是為它來的。這個字上面掛了兩種美式口語：一種借「有份量的部分」來講「實質內容」，另一種是「抱怨、不滿」。前者從這個畫面推得出來；後者跟牛肉的關聯其實沒有定論，直接當作另一個用法記起來就好。

From the word’s history

The meat sense comes from Old French buef, from Latin bovem 'ox, bull, cow'. The slang noun 'a complaint' appears in American English in the 1880s and the verb 'to complain' around 1888; Etymonline states the origin and meaning of these 'are unclear', suggesting only a possible link to soldiers complaining about their beef rations in the late 19th century.

「牛肉」來自古法文 buef，再往上是拉丁文 bovem「牛」。至於「抱怨」這個俚語用法，名詞在 1880 年代的美式英文出現，動詞約 1888 年；辭源辭典明講它的來源和意義「並不清楚」，只提出一個可能：十九世紀末士兵常抱怨配給的牛肉。所以這一支跟牛肉的連結是存疑的，不必硬記成比喻。

Etymonline, 'beef' — https://www.etymonline.com/word/beef

From the picture

抱怨、不滿

這一支跟牛肉之間沒有明確的關聯——來源不清楚。建議直接把它當成一個獨立的口語用法背，不要替它編一個比喻。

complaint · noun · B2

A complaint about something, or a reason for being annoyed. (informal)

抱怨 / 不滿

實質的內容

這一支借的是牛肉在一餐裡的位置：最有份量、最實在的那一塊。所以拿來問一段漂亮話裡「真正有份量的部分在哪」。

where's the beef? · noun · B2

Used to ask what someone actually plans to do, when their promises sound good but seem empty. (spoken, American English)

實質內容在哪？

Also in this word

cow meat · noun · B1

The meat that comes from a cow, eaten as food.

牛肉

原始詞典資料20 筆記錄

以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。

beefnoun/biːf/

  • 1

    The meat from cattle or other bovines; especially, that from adults.

    • I love eating beef.
    • He was cooking beef for lunch.
  • 2

    The meat from cattle or other bovines; especially, that from adults.

    • lean finely textured beef
    • boneless lean beef trimmings
  • 3

    slangThe meat from cattle or other bovines; especially, that from adults.

    • Put some beef into it! We've got to get the car over the bump.
    • We've got to get some beef into the enforcement provisions of that law.
  • 4

    slangThe meat from cattle or other bovines; especially, that from adults.

    • The beef of his paper was a long rant about government.
  • 5

    Bovine animals.

    • However, there were millions of head of beef roaming the plains of Texas.
  • 6

    A bovine (cow or bull) being raised for its meat.

    • Do you want to raise beeves?
    • Howbeit, that country bringeth forth certain kinds of goodly great wild bœufes: to wit, the Biſontes, mained with a collar, like Lions: and the Vri, a mightie ſtrong beaſt, and a ſwift: which the ignorant people call Buffles, whereas indeed the Buffle is bred in Affrica, and carieth ſome reſemblance of a calfe rather, or a ſtag.
  • 7

    slangA grudge; dislike (of something or someone); lack of faith or trust (in something or someone); a reason for a dislike or grudge. (often + with)

    • He's got beef over what you said.
    • He's got a beef with everyone in the room.
  • 8

    slangA criminal charge.

    • I'm in prison for attempting to kill two police officers (a genuine bum beef) and am alleged to be a part of a group of mad bombers.
    • The man most recently murdered is said to have been a key defense witness in the trial of two other Indians facing hanging beefs for their alleged killing of a guard.
另外 1 個記錄的用法
  • 9

    Fibrous calcite or limestone, especially when occurring in a jagged layer between shales in Dorset.

    • Clays, shales, sands, red and green marls, and alum shale, with occasional layers of "beef" (fibrous carbonate of lime) […] Chief "Beef" Beds, Dark (alum) shales with "beef" and selenite, beds of limestone, and layers of perished shells. Cyrena and Cyrides. Corbula Beds. Layers of shelly limestone, shale, alum shale, and marl, with "beef" and selenite.
    • Medium-grey paper shales with beef.

beefverb/biːf/

  • 1

    slangTo complain.

    • “Don't you like the Red Room?” “The Red Room!” I gathered from his manner that he had not come to beef about his sleeping accommodation.
    • "Who's Precious?" she beefed when she saw the big tattoo running down my inner arm.
  • 2

    slangTo add weight or strength to.

    • First off, the axle housing was beefed by welding areas where extreme loading is evident (black marked areas).
  • 3

    slangTo fart; break wind.

    • Ugh, who just beefed in here?
  • 4

    To cry.

    • David was beefing last night after Ruth told him off.
  • 5

    slangTo fail or mess up.

    • I beefed my presentation hard yesterday.
  • 6

    slangTo feud or hold a grudge against.

    • Those two are beefing right now — best you stay out of it.
  • 7

    slangTo sing or speak loudly; to cry out.

beefadj/biːf/

  • 1

    Being a bovine animal that is being raised for its meat.

    • We bought three beef calves this morning.
  • 2

    Producing or known for raising lots of beef.

    • beef farms
    • beef country
  • 3

    Consisting of or containing beef as an ingredient.

    • beef stew
  • 4

    slangBeefy; powerful; robust.

    • Wow, your audio setup is beef!

資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。