| 词组 | worst comes to worst |
| 释义 | worst comes to worst The idiomatic phrase if worst comes to worst has many variants. It was first recorded in 1597 as if the worst come to the worst. Its meaning then, as now, was "if the worst that can possibly happen does happen." As is the case with many idioms, the phrase seems nonsensical if its parts are examined individually. Presumably it was the desire to make the phrase more logical that gave rise to the variant if the worse comes to the worst, which was first recorded in 1719, when it was used (in the past tense) by Daniel Defoe in Robinson Crusoe. In the centuries since, this peculiar phrase has shown a stubborn unwillingness to settle into a fixed form: • ... will of course eventually, and if worst comes to worst, come to the aid of France —New Republic, 17 Nov. 1937 • ... if worse comes to the worst, the author can himself arrange for it —H. M. Silver, PMLA, February 1952 • If worst came to worst I could always get by —James Norman Hall, Atlantic, October 1952 • If worse came to worst she could telephone Nick — Daphne du Maurier, Ladies' Home Jour., August 1971 • Still, if the worst came to the worst —Jere H. Wheelwright, Jr., The Strong Room, 1948 • "... wanted to see her once more, if worst should come to worst...." —Charles Bracelen Flood, Omnibook, June 1954 The forms which are most commonly used are if worst comes to worst and if worse comes to worst. There are those who regard the form having worse as incorrect, but its use is too widespread and well established for it to be regarded as anything other than standard. Use of if worse comes to worse is considerably less common, at least in print. The definite articles are now omitted more often than not. |
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