Sour grapes?

（負け惜しみかい？）
　BBCドラマ「SHERLOCK」連動のホームズのブログ The Science of Deduction の中でのホームズとワトスンのやりとり。自分に用がある人は（アクセスの少ない）自分のブログじゃなくて（今や人気ブログとなった）ジョンのブログに連絡してくれ、と書き込むホームズ。「ブログの更新にはあまり意味がないようだから」と、しれっというホームズに、ワトスンがこう声をかけ、すかさずホームズにShut up!と言われる。

• Sour grapes：すっぱいブドウは「負け惜しみ」のこと。イソップ寓話がもとらしい。以前英会話クラスでも出てきてメモしてた表現(08/8/25) 。「負け惜しみ」という日本語だけ見ると漠然としているけど、英英辞書でニュアンスを見てみると、本当は欲しいけど手に入れられないものを「そんなものいらないやい！」って言う感じ。（used to say that someone is pretending that they dislike something because they want it but cannot have it - used to show disapproval／ unfair criticism that comes from someone who is disappointed about not getting something／used to show that you think someone is jealous and is pretending that something is not important／If you describe someone's behaviour or opinion as sour grapes, you mean that they are angry because they have not got or achieved something that they wanted／something that one cannot have and so disparages as if it were never desirable／if you say that something someone says is sour grapes, you mean that they said it because they are jealous）
  • His remarks are nothing but sour grapes.
  • He said he didn't want the job anyway, but that's just sour grapes.
  • I don't think it's such a great job - and that's not just sour grapes because I didn't get it.
  • What does Sabine mean, she didn't want to win the art competition!? She spent ages doing her project! I think it's just sour grapes on her part. She's jealous, because someone else won instead of her.