cotton on to
理解する
解説 Definition
状況や意味をようやく理解すること。イギリス英語のくだけた表現。
To cotton on to something means to begin to understand or realize it. It is an informal expression often used when someone finally notices the truth, especially after being confused at first.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
cotton on to は、まず catch on to を知っていると覚えやすいです。どちらも「だんだん分かる」「気づく」に近く、cotton on to は英UK寄りのくだけた言い方。特に「最初は分からなかったが、途中でのみこんだ」という遅れて理解する感じが出ます。on to は「ある考え・状況に向かって気づく」感覚でまとめると記憶しやすいです。I finally cottoned on to what was happening. のように、状況理解と相性が良い表現です。
Link `cotton on to` with `catch on to`, since both mean starting to understand. `Cotton on to` often has the feeling of understanding a bit late, after missing the point at first. It is especially common in British English and sounds informal.
例文
It took me a while to cotton on to the fact that he was joking.
彼が冗談を言っていることを理解するのに少し時間がかかった。
She eventually cottoned on to what was really going on behind the scenes.
彼女はやがて裏で本当に何が起きているかを理解した。
The students cottoned on to the teacher's trick question almost immediately.
生徒たちは先生のひっかけ問題をほぼ即座に理解した。
cotton on to の類義語・関連語
cotton on to の語源・成り立ち Etymology
cotton on toのcottonは名詞「綿」からで、語自体はアラビア語quṭunが古フランス語cotonを経て英語へ。動詞cottonは「くっつく・気が合う」と発達し、on toが加わって「考えにくっつく」→「理解する」となる。関連語はcotton to。
Cotton as a noun came from Arabic quṭun, through Old French coton, into English. The verb cotton later developed the sense of "attach oneself" or "get along with," probably from the idea of fibers sticking together. In cotton on to, that sense became mental rather than physical, so it came to mean beginning to understand or catch on.
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