eccentric

1. literally "out of the center".
2. 原本用于天文学表示“(天体)在不正圆轨道上运行的”，这样的天体相对于在正圆轨道上运行的天体来说，很显然是不正规的、不规则的、不规矩的、不符合常规的、异常的，由此就引申为跟正常人相对立的古怪的、怪僻的、偏执的、异乎寻常的的人。

eccentric 古怪的

ec-, 向外，同ex-. center, 中心。原为天文学术语，远离轨道的，后指人古怪。

eccentric (n.)

early 15c., "eccentric circle or orbit," originally a term in Ptolemaic astronomy, "circle or orbit not having the Earth precisely at its center," from Middle French eccentrique and directly from Medieval Latin eccentricus (noun and adjective), from Greek ekkentros "out of the center" (as opposed to concentric), from ek "out" (see ex-) + kentron "center" (see center (n.)). Meaning "odd or whimsical person" is attested by 1817 (S.W. Ryley, "The Itinerant, or Memoirs of an Actor").

June 4 [1800].--Died in the streets in Newcastle, William Barron, an eccentric, well known for many years by the name of Billy Pea-pudding. [John Sykes, "Local Records, or Historical Register of Remarkable Events which have Occurred Exclusively in the Counties of Durham and Northumberland, Town and County of Newcastle Upon Tyne, and Berwick Upon Tweed," Newcastle, 1824]

eccentric (adj.)

1550s, from Middle French eccentrique and directly from Medieval Latin eccentricus (noun and adjective; see eccentric (n.)). Of persons, figurative sense of "odd, whimsical" first recorded 1620s. "Eccentric is applied to acts which are the effects of tastes, prejudices, judgments, etc., not merely different from those of ordinary people, but largely unaccountable and often irregular ..." [Century Dictionary].

1. Great chess players have a reputation for being both eccentric and argumentative.

国际象棋大师们以性格怪异和好与人争辩而闻名。

2. "He's a bit of an eccentric old fatty," Thomas thought, unkindly.

“他是一个有点古怪的胖老头。”托马斯不厚道地想。

3. Geniuses are supposed to be eccentric and hopelessly impractical.

天才通常都被认为行为古怪而且毫无实践能力。

4. His methods were unorthodox, and his lifestyle eccentric.

他的方法不同寻常，他的生活方式也相当奇特。

5. Her fey charm and eccentric ways were legendary.

她难以捉摸的魅力和怪异的行事方式都成了传奇。

【eccentric, peculiar, strange, queer, curious, crazy, funny, odd, singular, quaint】
这组词都有“奇怪的，奇异的，新奇的”的意思，其区别是：
eccentric: 指偏离常规的怪异或怪癖。
peculiar: 侧重令人奇怪的或独一无二的特性，也指性格特征方面显著的与众不同之处。
strange: 普通常用词，含义广泛，指陌生新奇、奇怪、奇怪或不自然的人或物。
queer: 指一种无法解释的怪诞，强调事物的奇特和不可思议。
curious: 通常指非常特别或能引起注意、研究或探索的奇特。
crazy: 多指与众不同的行为、外表或人与物本身，含荒唐可笑或神经不正常的意味。
funny: 较通俗用词，指奇怪得滑稽可笑或反常。
odd: 通常指不规律、偶尔出现的人或事物，往往令人困惑或奇怪。
singular: 通常指异常或奇特，暗含不同于一般。
quaint: 指古色古香，会人感到既奇怪又有趣。