核心畫面

Picture the two front corners of a collar. Loose, they lift and flap; buttoned, they lie flat and stay exactly where they were put. That small is the whole word — first as a way of making a shirt, then as a way of describing anything where nothing is allowed to flap.

領子前面的兩個尖角。沒扣的時候,它們會翻、會飄。扣起來以後,它們平貼在胸前,放哪裡就待在哪裡。整個詞就是這個小動作。更多收起領子前面的兩個尖角。沒扣的時候,它們會翻、會飄。扣起來以後,它們平貼在胸前,放哪裡就待在哪裡。整個詞就是這個小動作。先是一種襯衫的做法,後來被借去形容任何「什麼都固定在原位、不准翹起來」的東西。想像一家公司也被這樣扣好了:衣著、時間、寫信的方式,全部服貼——這就是引申意思的來源。

Two branches

衣服上的實際做法

這一族就是核心畫面本身:領角真的被扣在襯衫上。

adjective · B2

Used about a shirt or a collar whose collar points are held down to the front of the shirt by small buttons, so that the collar lies flat instead of lifting up.

鈕扣領的

人和公司的「扣得很緊」

把領角服貼的畫面放大到一整個環境,就成了「每件事都被固定在既定位置」。

adjective · C1

Used about a company, a style, a place or a person that is formal, traditional and careful, keeps to the usual way of doing things, and is not open to new or unusual ideas. It often sounds mildly critical.

保守拘謹的;一板一眼的