Describing a person, or the way they behave and speak, as rough and lacking manners — loud where quiet is expected, crude, tactless, not knowing which fork to use or which joke not to tell. Talking with your mouth full, spitting on the floor, shouting a private question across a room: uncouth.

Describing a person, or the way they behave and speak,用來形容一個人，或他們的言行舉止 as rough and lacking manners —粗魯又沒教養— loud where quiet is expected, crude, tactless,該安靜的時候大聲、講話粗俗、白目 not knowing which fork to use or which joke not to tell不知道該用哪支叉子、不知道哪個笑話不該講。Talking with your mouth full, spitting on the floor, shouting a private question across a room:滿嘴食物還講話、往地上吐痰、隔著整個房間大聲問私人問題: uncouth這些就是 uncouth。

The word carries a strong flavour that you should notice, because it is not really about kindness. It is about polish.

The word carries a strong flavour that you should notice,這個詞帶著一種你該注意的強烈味道 because it is not really about kindness因為它其實跟善不善良沒有太大關係。It is about polish它講的是「有沒有教養、有沒有磨過的樣子」。

An uncouth person may be perfectly good-hearted; the speaker is saying they were not brought up properly, that they do not know how refined people behave. So the word says as much about the person using it as the person described — it looks down from above.

An uncouth person may be perfectly good-hearted;一個 uncouth 的人可能心地非常好; the speaker is saying說話的人其實是在說 they were not brought up properly,他們沒有被好好教養過 that they do not know how refined people behave不知道有教養的人是怎麼表現的。So the word says as much about the person using it as the person described —所以這個詞講的其實不只是被形容的人，也講了用這個詞的人— it looks down from above它是一種由上往下看的眼光。

It can sound snobbish, and sometimes it points at class or at country people, which is worth being careful about.

It can sound snobbish,它聽起來可能帶點勢利眼 and sometimes it points at class or at country people,有時候還隱含著階級或針對鄉下人的意味 which is worth being careful about這點值得小心。

It is somewhat formal and a little old-fashioned; today it often appears half-joking, one friend teasing another. Real complaints in modern speech are more likely 'rude', 'gross', or 'he has no manners'.

It is somewhat formal and a little old-fashioned;它算是有點正式、有點老派的詞; today it often appears half-joking,現在常常是半開玩笑地出現 one friend teasing another朋友之間互相調侃時用。Real complaints in modern speech are more likely現代口語裡真的要抱怨時比較常說 'rude', 'gross', or 'he has no manners''rude'、'gross'，或 'he has no manners'。

The history is lovely and worth knowing. In Old English uncūþ simply meant 'unknown, unfamiliar, strange'. The meaning drifted: strange → foreign in manner → awkward → badly mannered. What was once 'we don't know him' became 'he doesn't know how to behave'.

The history is lovely and worth knowing它的來歷很有意思，值得知道。In Old English在古英文裡 uncūþ simply meantuncūþ 單純就是...的意思 'unknown, unfamiliar, strange'「不認識的、陌生的、奇怪的」。The meaning drifted:意思慢慢漂移: strange → foreign in manner → awkward → badly mannered奇怪的 → 舉止外邦式的 → 笨拙的 → 沒教養的。What was once 'we don't know him'曾經的「我們不認識他」 became 'he doesn't know how to behave'變成了「他不懂得怎麼表現」。