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  • Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Word Origins 7.

  • The word origin today is ugly duckling.

  • Okay.

  • Let's take a look at the note here.

  • An ugly duckling is someone, especially a female.

  • Who while young seemed quite plain.

  • Not so attractive at all.

  • Or unattractive.

  • But later develops and blossoms and turns out to be quite beautiful.

  • Okay.

  • Let's continue.

  • The origin of this noun phrase is believed to come from a fairy tale by Hans Christian

  • Anderson.

  • Yeah from Denmark.

  • Of the same name, " The Ugly Duckling.

  • " So his fairy name was "The Ugly Duckling.

  • And this became a noun phrase later.

  • There doesn't seem to be any mention of this term before the book was published in 1843.

  • So the term didn't seem to exist before that time.

  • But it did become quite popular later.

  • In the original story the baby duckling , remember that's what a duckling means a baby duck.

  • The baby duckling is shunned by others.

  • Well . You know they avoid him.

  • They keep away from him.

  • They thought he was too ugly so they stayed away from him.

  • By others, but by the end of the story has grown into a beautiful swan.

  • All right.

  • And these are example of how we would use it, Her daughter used to an ugly duckling

  • as a child, but blossomed into an attractive young woman.

  • So that is typically the way we hear ugly duckling used.

  • Or example number 2.

  • There are many famous actresses who claim that they used to be an ugly duckling when

  • they were younger.

  • Such as Nicole Kidman.

  • Remember the actress that used to be married to Tom Cruse.

  • Jennifer Aniston .You know the famous actress from the TV show Friends years ago.

  • Victoria Beckham . you know , she used to be one of the Spice Girls. and then you know

  • she married the soccer player Beckham as well.

  • Okay.

  • Jessica Alba, you know as another very pretty girl.

  • You might know her from the Fantastic Four movies.

  • She played the Invisible Girl in the first series of Fantastic Four movies, etc.

  • Anyway, I hope you got it.

  • I hope it was clear.

  • I hope it was enjoyable.

  • Thank you for your time.

  • Bye-bye.

Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Word Origins 7.

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英語家教Nick P單詞起源(7)醜小鴨 (English Tutor Nick P Word Origins (7) Ugly Duckling)

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    anitawu12 posted on 2021/01/14
Video vocabulary