甘やかす・卵をコドル
解説 Definition
過度に甘やかして大事にすること。また、卵を殻ごとゆっくり加熱する調理法。
To coddle someone means to treat them too gently or protect them too much, so they do not learn to deal with difficulty. It is often used in discussions about parenting, teaching, or leadership. In cooking, it can also mean to cook something, especially an egg, very gently.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
coddle は「やさしく扱う」で止まらず、「やさしすぎて甘やかす」まで行く語。cuddle（抱きしめる）のような柔らかい響きを手がかりにすると覚えやすいが、cuddle が単に親しく抱くのに対し、coddle は過保護・過干渉の含みがある。coddle a child, coddle a patient, coddle his ego など「必要以上に気を使う」場面でよく出る。care や protect より甘く、spoil に少し近い語だと整理すると残りやすい。
`Coddle` has a soft sound, which matches the idea of treating someone too gently. It is stronger than simple `care` because it often suggests too much protection. Think of it as moving closer to `spoil` than to normal help.
例文
His parents coddled him so much that he never learned to solve problems on his own.
両親が彼をあまりに甘やかしたため、彼は自分で問題を解決することを学ばなかった。
The recipe calls for coddling the eggs in simmering water for exactly five minutes.
そのレシピでは卵をちょうど5分間、弱く煮立った湯でゆっくり加熱するよう指示している。
Stop coddling the new employees — they need to learn to handle challenges independently.
新入社員を甘やかすのはやめなさい——彼らは自立して課題に対処することを学ぶ必要がある。
coddle の類義語・関連語
coddle の語源・成り立ち Etymology
coddle はもと『弱火でやさしく煮る』を表し、英仏語由来の caudle「病人向けの温かい飲み物」、さらにラテン語 calidus「温かい」にさかのぼるとされます。卵をそっと温める感覚から、人を過度にやさしく扱う「甘やかす」が生まれました。関連語は caudle, mollycoddle。
Coddle originally meant to cook gently over low heat. It is linked to caudle, a warm drink once given to sick people, from Old French and ultimately from Latin calidus, meaning "warm." From the idea of treating food very gently, the word later developed the sense of treating a person too softly; mollycoddle shares the same history.
同じレベルの英単語をもっと
英検1級の一覧へ →外部辞書で調べる
この単語を英単語クイズで覚えよう