straw习语.docVIP

A drowning man will clutch at a straw. Prov. When you are desperate, you will look for anything that might help you, even if it cannot help you very much. Scott thinks this faith healer will cure his baldness. A drowning man will clutch at a straw. See also: clutch, drown, man called to straw Rur. about to begin labor and childbirth. Susan was called to straw when she was only seven months along. Nancys nine months pregnant and could be called to straw any day now. See also: call clutch at straws Fig. to continue to seek solutions, ideas, or hopes that are insubstantial. When you talk of cashing in quick on your inventions, you are just clutching at straws. That is not a real solution to the problem. You are just clutching at straws. See also: clutch draw straws for something Fig. to decide who gets something or must do something by choosing straws from an unseen set of straws of different lengths. (The person who gets the shortest straw is chosen. See also draw lots.) We drew straws for the privilege of going first. Lets draw straws for it. See also: draw grasping at straws Fig. to depend on something that is useless; to make a futile attempt at something. John couldnt answer the teachers question. He was just grasping at straws. There I was, grasping at straws, with no one to help me. last straw?and?the straw that broke the camels back the final difficulty in a series; the last little burden or problem that causes everything to collapse. (From the image of a camel being loaded down with much weight. Finally, at some point, one more straw will be too much and the camels back will break.) When our best player came down sick, that was the straw that broke the camels back. We hoped to make the playoffs, but lost all the rest of our games. When she showed up late a third time, that was the straw that broke the camels back. We had to fire her. See also: last straw man a weak proposition posited only to be demolished by a simple countering argument. So you can kno