curtain Thành ngữ, tục ngữ
beef curtains
the female genitalsbehind the curtain
out of sight；secretly在幕后；秘密地The treaty was signed behind the scenes．这项协议是秘密签订的。
The real work of the conference is being done behind the curtain．这次会议的实际工作正在幕后进行。
behind the scenes/curtain
out of sight；secretly在幕后；秘密地The treaty was signed behind the scenes．这项协议是秘密签订的。
The real work of the conference is being done behind the curtain．这次会议的实际工作正在幕后进行。
bring down the curtain
Idiom[s]: ring down the curtain [on something] AND bring down the curtain [on something]Theme: ENDINGS
to bring something to an end; to declare something to be at an end.
It's time to ring down the curtain on our relationship. We have nothing in common anymore.
We've tried our best to make this company a success, but it's time to ring down the curtain.
After many years the old man brought down the curtain and closed the restaurant.
curtain
curtainIn addition to the idioms beginning with curtain, also see draw the curtain; raise the curtain; ring down the curtain on.
* * *
- curtain raiser
- curtains for, be.
curtain raiser
curtain raiserPreliminary event, as in This limited attack on the chairman is just a curtain raiser for the concerted effort to oust him. This term literally refers to a short play or skit presented before the main theatrical production. It began to be transferred to other preliminaries about 1940.
curtains
the end, the death, the last of If we clearcut Canada's forests, it's curtains for the lumber industry.curtains for
Idiom[s]: be curtains for sb or sthTheme: DAYDREAM
be curtains for someone or something
to be the death, end, or ruin of someone or something. [Informal. From the lowering or closing of the curtains at the end of a stage performance.]
If the car hadn't swerved, it would have been curtains for the pedestrians.
If they can't get into the export market, it's curtains for the whole company.
curtains for, be.
curtains for, be.Also, it's curtains. Be the end, especially death. For example, If he hadn't worn a bullet-proof vest, it would have been curtains for him, or It's curtains if she doesn't finish on time. This expression is a metaphor for the falling curtain signifying the end of a performance. [Slang; c. 1900]
draw the curtain
draw the curtain1] Pull a curtain back or to one side to let in more light or to discover what is behind it. For example, The sun was so pleasant I drew the curtains. [c. 1500]
2] Block or conceal something. For example, Let's draw the curtain over this matter; no one needs to know more. [c. 1500] Also see draw a veil over.
lift the curtain
lift the curtainsee raise the curtain.
raise the curtain
raise the curtainAlso, lift the curtain.
1] Begin or start, as in It's time to raise the curtain, guysstart shoveling.
2] Make something public, disclose. In this sense, both terms often occur with on, as in We won't know what the new design is until they lift the curtain on it. Both usages, from the mid-1700s, allude to the curtain raised at the beginning of a theatrical performance, revealing the stage.
ring down the curtain
Idiom[s]: ring down the curtain [on something] AND bring down the curtain [on something]Theme: ENDINGS
to bring something to an end; to declare something to be at an end.
It's time to ring down the curtain on our relationship. We have nothing in common anymore.
We've tried our best to make this company a success, but it's time to ring down the curtain.
After many years the old man brought down the curtain and closed the restaurant.
ring down the curtain on
ring down the curtain onBring something to an end, as in We'd best get to that grand old hotel before they ring down the curtain on it. This idiom alludes to the old practice of signaling that a theater curtain be lowered at the ring of a bell. Similarly, ring up the curtain on refers to a bell rung to begin a performance and came to mean starting anything, as in Their contribution rang up the curtain on the fund drive. The figurative use of these terms dates from the early 1900s.