RIP VAN WINKLE


Meaning of RIP VAN WINKLE in English

/ ˌrɪp væn ˈwɪŋkl/ noun

a person who is surprised to find how much the world has changed over a period of time

ORIGIN: From the name of a character in a short story by the US writer Washington Irving. He sleeps for 20 years and wakes up to find that the world has completely changed.

For more information see the Cultural Guide

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.