迷你對話學地道口語第577期:當家掌權

Subject：My wife wears the pants.

迷你對話

A: Who the the head of the family?

你們家誰當家？

B: My wife wears the pants.

現在我太太做主。

地道表達

wear the pants

1. 解詞釋義

Wear the pants的字面意思是“穿褲子”，引申爲“當家的人”。這個習慣用語非常古老了，它源於四百多年前。當時的民俗是，穿褲子的都是男人，婦女都得穿裙子。而養家餬口的，當家長做主的多半是穿褲子的男子漢。然後又的家庭裏母親必須身兼父親和母親的職責，當家做主。這時候人們就會說這個爲婦女wears the pants，因爲她承擔了男人的義務和權利。後來，人們就用wear the pants這個短語來指“當家的人”“當家掌權”了。其英文解釋爲：to be the person in charge in a marriage or family。

2. 拓展例句

e.g. She has the best-paid job and she Also wears the pants in the family.

她工作的薪水很高，但是還是掌管這個家庭的人。

e.g. I don't want to wear the pants in this family. The authority is yours on this house.

我可不想當這個家，這個家還是由你來管吧。

e.g. Mr Wilson is henpecked by his wife; she wears the pants in that family.

威爾遜先生怕老婆; 在他家裏，他太太說了算。

e.g. All right, if you have to wear the pants, have it your way.

好吧，你要當家，就隨你吧。