alexander

alexander — noun

1. a trained method of standing, sitting, and moving where you let go of muscle ten

1.名詞C2
釋義

a trained method of standing, sitting, and moving where you let go of muscle tension and unhelpful habits, used by actors, musicians, and people with back trouble to feel more at ease and perform better.

例句

After two years of back pain, Élise booked weekly Alexander lessons with a teacher in Brighton.

context: back pain treatment

The drama school in Taipei teaches the Alexander technique to first-year acting students every Monday.

collocation: the Alexander technique

同義詞
  • Feldenkrais

    another body-awareness method, focused more on slow guided movement than postural habit

  • postural therapy

    broader umbrella term covering many systems for fixing how you hold yourself

文法句型

the Alexander technique

用法筆記

Almost always written with a capital A and paired with 'technique', 'method', 'lessons', or 'work'. Named after F. M. Alexander, an Australian actor, so the word carries a proper-noun flavour even when it stands alone.

常見錯誤

❌I do alexander every day to fix my posture.
✅I do the Alexander technique every day to fix my posture.
💡the noun usually needs 'technique' or 'method' beside it, and a capital A.
❌She teaches an alexander.
✅She teaches Alexander technique.
💡no indefinite article; treat it like a discipline name.

2. a sweet, creamy cocktail served cold, made by shaking gin or brandy with chocola

2.名詞C1
釋義

a sweet, creamy cocktail served cold, made by shaking gin or brandy with chocolate liqueur and fresh cream, often dusted with grated nutmeg on top.

例句

Christopher ordered a brandy alexander after dinner and sipped it slowly by the fireplace.

collocation: brandy alexander

The bartender at the Manila hotel shook two alexanders and grated nutmeg over the foam.

plural countable use

同義詞
  • grasshopper

    another sweet cream-based cocktail, but green and made with mint liqueur instead of chocolate

  • brandy alexander

    the specific brandy-based version, by far the most popular form

文法句型

a brandy alexander

an alexander

用法筆記

Usually qualified by the base spirit: a 'brandy alexander' (the most common version) or a 'gin alexander' (the original). Without the qualifier, listeners typically assume the brandy version.

常見錯誤

❌I'd like alexander, please.
✅I'd like an alexander, please.
💡countable noun, needs an article.
❌A whisky alexander.
✅A brandy alexander.' or 'A gin alexander.
💡the recipe is fixed to gin or brandy; substituting whisky makes a different drink with a different name.