| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
hiromichi
Joined: 12 Oct 2005
Posts: 1380
|
 Posted: Fri May 17, 2013 12:34 am Post subject: skip off the stonne |
 |
|
I cannot imagine the knife skipped off the stone. What situation is it like?
"The knife skipped off the stone and almost exscinded Shih Te's index finger."
Alexander Goldstein; The Foundling; Trafford; 2009.
_________________
Hiromichi |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
IanT
Joined: 13 Sep 2012
Posts: 340
Location: Spain
|
| Posted: Mon May 20, 2013 10:50 am Post subject: |
|
|
I think it's intended to suggest a light quick movement with lots of forwards!
As if the stone didn't slow the knife down much because it was only a slight contact.
Does that make sense?
Best wishes,
Ian
_________________
All my answers refer to British English.
www.EnglishSwearing.com - How to use all the bad words! ... and ... www.throdworld.com - Silly verses to make you happy.
You decide the price for both! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Tao
Joined: 26 Oct 2012
Posts: 66
|
| Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 5:04 pm Post subject: Re: skip off the stonne |
|
|
[quote="hiromichi"]I cannot imagine the knife skipped off the stone. What situation is it like?
"The knife skipped off the stone and almost exscinded Shih Te's index finger."
Alexander Goldstein; The Foundling; Trafford; 2009.[/quote]
If you throw a knife, it may "skip" off of a stone. If one is sharpening a knife with a stone the word to use would be "slipped".
_________________
TAO |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
IanT
Joined: 13 Sep 2012
Posts: 340
Location: Spain
|
| Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 12:34 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Yes. I looked at the surrounding passages of the text, on Google books, and in just a few paragraphs there are a lot of examples of strange use of vocabulary.
I had imagined at first that it might be just a typo (after all, k and l are neighbours!) but in fact it seems like the author is trying much too hard to be cute.
_________________
All my answers refer to British English.
www.EnglishSwearing.com - How to use all the bad words! ... and ... www.throdworld.com - Silly verses to make you happy.
You decide the price for both! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
hiromichi
Joined: 12 Oct 2005
Posts: 1380
|
| Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 6:44 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Tao and IanT:
Thank you very much.
_________________
Hiromichi |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
