Question of the Day #46

"Is Mary your friend?"

"Not exactly. She's more of a frenemy. Sometimes I can't stand her."

上記の会話で、frenemyの意味は？
In the dialogue above, what does "frenemy" mean?

答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

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解答

意味： 英辞郎によると、


俗〉友人でもあり敵でもある人、友達のふりをした敵

となっているが、下記の英語の定義をみるともっと複雑であることがわかる。

Answer

According to Oxford Dictionaries:

A person with whom one is friendly despite a fundamental dislike or rivalry.

According to Merriam-Webster:

one who pretends to be a friend but is actually an enemy

According to Dictionary.com:

Informal. a person or group that is friendly toward another because the relationship brings benefits, but harbors feelings of resentment or rivalry

According to Wiktionary:

1. (humorous) Someone who pretends to be your friend, but is really your enemy.
2. (humorous) A fair-weather friend who is also a rival.

Etymology/語源

Dictionary.comによると、

１９５０〜１９５５年頃にできた単語で、fr(iend)とenemyから出来た造語。

According to Dictionary.com:

1950-55; fr(iend) + enemy

Examples

• Without its Korean frenemy, the company will have to switch to a new megasupplier.
• "From far away, she's OK," as Clueless' Cher (Alicia Silverstone) famously explains of her frenemy, Amber.
• The compulsively aggressive Australian is a great businessman, writes press baron and Rupert frenemy Conrad Black.
• ‘Rob says that, at best they should be understood as our `frenemy '.’
• ‘I was very happy it was not someone I respected," she said of her frenemy, whom she called a "coward."’