Question of the Day #956

And unlike so many others who sound off on the DEI topic, she doesn’t have an ax to grind or a chip on her shoulder.

From the 8th paragraph of this article at Forbes.

  上記の文で、have an ax to grindとhave a chip on one's shoulderの意味は？
In the sentence above, what do "have an ax to grind" and "have a chip on one's shoulder" 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have an ax to grindは、

利己的な考え［下心］がある、腹に一物ある

have a chip on one's shoulderは、

挑戦的態度を取る、すぐにカッとなる

 

Answer

According to the Free Dictionary "have an ax to grind" means:

1. To have a complaint or dispute that one feels compelled to discuss.
2. To have a personal motivation or selfish reason for saying or doing something.

  And "have a chip on one's shoulder" means

To have an attitude that leads one to become combative or easily angered.

 

Examples

"Have an ax to grind"

• I think the boss has a bit of an axe to grind with you over the way the account was handled.
• I don't have an ax to grind here—I just want to know the truth.
• Environmentalists have no political axe to grind - they just want to save the planet.
• The study should be conducted by a firm that has no axe to grind.
• They believed cases should be referred by an independent agency which does not have an axe to grind.

"Have a chip on one's shoulder"

• Fred has such a chip on his shoulder—you never know what's going to set him off next.
• She won't admit it, but Kate has a chip on her shoulder when it comes to discussing her career.
• He had this chip on his shoulder about my mum and dad thinking that they're better than him.
• The chip on their shoulder continues to grow. - Times, Sunday Times (2010)
• You can't tag on to the training pitch with a chip on your shoulder because you haven't been selected. - Times, Sunday Times (2011)

   

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