Cockamamie: 荒谬的
<p><span word="Cockamamie">Cockamamie</span>: 荒谬的</p><p>不知你小时候是否玩过花花绿绿的贴纸？伸出舌尖舔一下，然后把花样印在书本甚或皮肤上…在英语中"贴花纸"可以用<span word="decal">decal</span>来表达，而我们今天讲的<span word="cockamamie">cockamamie</span>（荒谬的，疯狂的）看似与"贴纸"毫不相干，实则存有渊源。或许，<span word="cockamamie">cockamamie</span>之所以"荒诞"正是因为它面目全非地改变了词源的本意吧。</p><p>据语言学家记载，<span word="cockamamie">cockamamie</span>源于法语词<span word="decalcomania">decalcomania</span>。19世纪的法国盛行一种贴花法，即"把贴纸上的图案转印到陶瓷或玻璃上"，法语中这种方法叫做<span word="decalcomania">decalcomania</span>，词缀<span word="mania">mania</span>意思是<span word="crazy">crazy</span>（迷恋），后来<span word="decalcomania">decalcomania</span>可以用其缩略语形式<span word="decal">decal</span>来表达。到19世纪中期，法国的小孩子尤为喜欢"贴花"，还把花样印在皮肤上，随即这种游戏风靡欧美。据说到20世纪30年代，"在身上贴花纹"成为美国布鲁克林区小孩的标榜性标志。 为什么<span word="decalcomania">decalcomania</span>后来演化为<span word="cockamamie">cockamamie</span>，现在很难考证。但从语义学来讲，"贴花"游戏虽然无害，但能风靡欧美实在有点"荒诞"；另外，印上的花纹并不能长期留存，所以<span word="cockamamie">cockamamie</span>的另一衍生意"<span word="phony">phony</span>"（假冒的）也由此诞生。 举两个例子再来加深一下我们对<span word="cockamamie">cockamamie</span>的理解：<span word="That">That</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="cockamamie">cockamamie</span> <span word="plan">plan</span> <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="ever">ever</span> <span word="heard">heard</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="work">work</span>.（这是我听过的最疯狂的计划，行不通的）；<span word="He">He</span> <span word="gave">gave</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="cockamamie">cockamamie</span> <span word="reason">reason</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="there">there</span>（他没去那里的理由实在荒谬），言外之意，理由是"假的"。</p>
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