dickens
noun /ˈdɪkɪnz/
/ˈdɪkɪnz/
the dickens
(old-fashioned, informal)- used in questions instead of ‘devil’ to show that you are annoyed or surprised
（用于问句代替 devil，表示烦恼或吃惊）究竟，到底 - Where the dickens did he go?
他究竟上哪儿去了？
- Where the dickens did he go?
- (North American English) used when you are saying how attractive, etc. somebody is
（某人）…极了，太…了，多么…啊 - cute as the dickens
可爱极了
- cute as the dickens
词源late 16th cent.: a euphemism for ‘devil’, probably a use of the surname Dickens.