核心畫面

Think of a hand — or a line of sight — sliding from one end of something to the other, and doing it exactly once. Once is one time; over is travelling across the whole thing. One pass means it is fast, and it means the detail stays where it is. When your eyes make that pass, it is a quick look. When a cloth makes it, it is a quick clean.

可以想成一隻手,或一道目光,從東西的一端滑到另一端,而且只滑這麼一次。once 是一次,over 是從頭到尾經過。只更多收起可以想成一隻手,或一道目光,從東西的一端滑到另一端,而且只滑這麼一次。once 是一次,over 是從頭到尾經過。只走一次,所以快、所以粗,細節全都留在原地。眼睛這樣走,就是快速看一遍;抹布這樣走,就是隨手擦一遍。兩個意思長得一樣,靠手上有沒有拿東西來分。

From the word’s history

Wiktionary records the phrase as coming from the idea of going over something once. That is still the whole picture today: one pass, end to end, and no second look.

Wiktionary 把這個詞的來源記成「把一件事走過一次」的想法。這條線索直接對上它今天的用法:只過一遍,從頭到尾,沒有第二次。

Wiktionary (kaikki extract) entry for once-over, etymology: "From the idea of going over something once."

One branch

只過一遍

兩個意思共用同一個動作,差別只在走這一遍的是眼睛還是抹布。

noun · B2

If you give someone or something the once-over, you look at them quickly to see what they are like, or to check that nothing is wrong.

快速看一遍