No pillar or post but wore its white cap

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Marius Hancu - 01 Jan 2009 14:43 GMT

Hello:

I haven't yet seen this:
"no ... but" construction:
"no pillar or post but wore its white cap."

What's its exact meaning?

Does it mean
"each and every post wore its white cap?"
or
"there was no sight of pillar or post, but just of their white cap?"

------
[Winter, snow]

The world, this narrow, lofty, isolated world up here, looked now well
wadded and upholstered indeed: no pillar or post but wore its white
cap; the steps to the entrance of the Berghof had turned into an
inclined plane;

The Magic Mountain, p. 270
by Thomas Mann, Helen Tracy Lowe-Porter
------

Thanks.
Marius Hancu

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Peter Duncanson (BrE) - 01 Jan 2009 14:51 GMT

>Hello:
>
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>or
>"there was no sight of pillar or post, but just of their white cap?"

It means that every pillar and post had a white cap.

There was not a pillar or post that did not have a white cap.

>------
>[Winter, snow]
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>Thanks.
>Marius Hancu

Signature

Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)

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Marius Hancu - 01 Jan 2009 15:04 GMT

On Jan 1, 9:51 am, "Peter Duncanson (BrE)" <m...@peterduncanson.net>
wrote:

> >"no pillar or post but wore its white cap."
>
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> >cap; the steps to the entrance of the Berghof had turned into an
> >inclined plane;

Thanks.

Happy New Year!
Marius Hancu

Reply to this Message

Peter Duncanson (BrE) - 01 Jan 2009 15:20 GMT

>On Jan 1, 9:51 am, "Peter Duncanson (BrE)" <m...@peterduncanson.net>
>wrote:
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>Happy New Year!
>Marius Hancu

And to you!

Signature

Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2009

No pillar or post but wore its white cap