Hit the hay?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> “<span word="hit">hit</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="hay">hay</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: “<span word="Afterwards">Afterwards</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="ready">ready</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="hit">hit</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="hay">hay</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="comfy">comfy</span> <span word="beds">beds</span> (<span word="with">with</span> <span word="heated">heated</span> <span word="blankets">blankets</span>!) <span word="and">and</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="rest">rest</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="next">next</span> <span word="day">day</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="adventures">adventures</span>.”</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p>“<span word="Hit">Hit</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="hay">hay</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="bed">bed</span>, <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="sleep">sleep</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="after">after</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="activities">activities</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="adventures">adventures</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="day">day</span>, <span word="everybody">everybody</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="tired">tired</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="eager">eager</span> (<span word="very">very</span> <span word="ready">ready</span>) <span word="to">to</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="bed">bed</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="rest">rest</span>.</p><p><span word="There">There</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="real">real</span> <span word="hay">hay</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="their">their</span> “<span word="comfy">comfy</span> <span word="beds">beds</span>”, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="instead">instead</span> “<span word="heated">heated</span> <span word="blankets">blankets</span>”. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="old">old</span> <span word="days">days</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="America">America</span>, <span word="when">when</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="by">by</span>, <span word="people">people</span> <span word="slept">slept</span>, <span word="literally">literally</span>, <span word="on">on</span> <span word="hay">hay</span>.</p><p><span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="hay">hay</span> <span word="straws">straws</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span>. <span word="People">People</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="hay">hay</span> <span word="straws">straws</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="hay">hay</span> <span word="sacks">sacks</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bed">bed</span> <span word="mat">mat</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="mattress">mattress</span>.</p><p><span word="So">So</span>, <span word="back">back</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="day">day</span>, <span word="when">when</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="went">went</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="bed">bed</span>, <span word="some">some</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="indeed">indeed</span> <span word="hitting">hitting</span> <span word="hay">hay</span>, <span word="reaching">reaching</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="hay">hay</span> <span word="straws">straws</span>.</p><p><span word="Early">Early</span> <span word="settlers">settlers</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="America">America</span> <span word="must">must</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="hitting">hitting</span> <span word="hay">hay</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="beginning">beginning</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="imagine">imagine</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="written">written</span> <span word="form">form</span> “<span word="hay">hay</span>” <span word="as">as</span> <span word="bed">bed</span> <span word="dates">dates</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="early">early</span> 20<span word="th">th</span> <span word="century">century</span>, <span word="according">according</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Phrases">Phrases</span>.<span word="org">org</span>.<span word="uk">uk</span>:</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="term">term</span> <span word="hay">hay</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="USA">USA</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="mean">mean</span> <span word="bed">bed</span> <span word="since">since</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="early">early</span> 20<span word="th">th</span> <span word="century">century</span>; <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="from">from</span> <span word="People">People</span> <span word="You">You</span> <span word="Know">Know</span>, <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="author">author</span> <span word="George">George</span> <span word="Ade">Ade</span>, 1902:</p><p>“<span word="After">After</span> <span word="Dinner">Dinner</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="smoked">smoked</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="Perfecto">Perfecto</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="then">then</span>, <span word="when">when</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="put">put</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="frolicsome">frolicsome</span> <span word="Hour">Hour</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="North">North</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="Review">Review</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="crawled">crawled</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Hay">Hay</span> <span word="at">at</span> 9.30 <span word="P">P</span>.<span word="M">M</span>.”</p>
页:
[1]