英语单词A到Z畅谈美国流行文化49：let one's hair down解除表面装饰，卸下包袱，彻底放松
17世纪，西方女子多留长发，他们习惯白天把头发盘起来，我晚上回到家把头发放下来，让它舒舒服服发的披在肩上，放下头发这种行为便叫做let one's hair down。由于它体现了一种回到家不再用顾及形象的放松姿态，顺理成章的引申为“解除表面装饰，卸下包袱，彻底放松”举例如下：Being the chief eeditor of a weekly magazine,mavis has deal with all kind of problems and pressure day in and day out.she rarely gets a chance to let her hair down and enjoy life like others do.(作为一家周刊的主编Mavis不得不一天到晚应付各种各样的问题和压力，她很少有机会会能彻底放松，像其他人那样享受生活。）
需要注意的是，虽然let one's hair down来源于女人放下头发的典故，但这个短语目前的用法对性别没有限制（这一点其实从短语本身就可以看出来，是let one's hair down，不是let her hair down)。不妨来看一个男人的例子：Donald:How did Jonathan do with the demo class'? (Jonathan的示范课表现如何？)
Betty: He scaned very nervous at first. but after hc g()t to know the students a little bit.hestaiied let his hair down.他一开始显得很紧张，不过在他对学生有了一定了解之后，他就开始放松了。）
Donald: So over all .he did well? （那总体上来看，他还不错？）Betty: Yes.i think so .The students definitely loved the jokes he cracked.
一 ： the jokcs Ilc（是的。学生非常喜欢他讲的那些笑话。）let one's hair down的这种用法在流行文化作品里也经常可以看到。2006年，英国歌手Corinne Bailey Rae的一曲Put Your
Records On红遍了英美两国。歌的高潮部分就反复唱道：(irl. putyour records on （女孩，放上唱片） 美国节奏蓝调歌手Dwele首张个人专辑中的压轴歌曲叫Let Your Hair Down，内容也是劝某个女孩要放轻松，好好享受生活：Why you never smile ?（你为什么从来不笑？）Let the wash away all your pain. （让太阳冲散你所有的痛苦）So your inner child cold fly .(让你内心的小孩可以释放出来)
Maybe we can be friends.（也许我们能做朋友）And i'll your pretty eves. （我会让你美丽的双眼不再有泪）Get up off your sorrow（别再悲伤）Shake it up ,all night.摇动身躯，整晚无休）Throw it up,your bands high.挥舞双手，高高在上）And let your hair don. （彻底放松）let one's hair down还可以用来表示“不加掩饰地说出自己的意见和看法”。
这种行为虽然不完全等同于“放松”，但也差得不远，因为只有在“解除表面装饰，卸下包袱”的状态下才可能知无不言、
言无不尽。举例如下：Kitty: I have this feeling that you are very upset with me. I wish vou'dLet、your hair down and tell me what exactly I did to piss you off.(我能感觉到你对我很不满意。我希望你可以坦诚的告诉我究竟做错了什
么，令你生气。）Emumu You really want to hear it?Fine.the scarf you gave mom took you, what. two hours to buy?she loved it,Ispent the whole week knitting the sweater for her, and barely looked at it,it's so unfair.(你真的想听？好。你送老妈的那条围巾才花了你两个小时去买吧？她爱不释手。我花了一整个礼拜亲手织了毛衣送她，她几乎看都不看。太不公平了。）
Kitty: oh honey. you have no idea. Your sweater was her favorite birthday present ever .she barely looked at it because shi didn't want to cry in front of us You know she woould ．（哦，亲爱的，你真是不清楚状况。你那件毛衣是她有史以来最喜欢的生日礼物。她没看几眼是因为她不想在我们面前哭！你知道她会忍不住的。）