Waugh: She's had her nose down

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Marius Hancu - 02 Jan 2010 11:52 GMT

Hello:

Is this
"She's had her nose down"
a common idiom, inspired by hunting?

-----
[Ryder finds that his wife knows about his infidelity with Julia]

'So she knows,' I thought. 'She's a sharp one. She's had her nose down
since luncheon and picked up the scent.'

Evelyn Waugh, Brideshead Revisited, p. 818
----
--
Thanks.
Marius Hancu

Reply to this Message

Cheryl - 02 Jan 2010 11:58 GMT

> Hello:
>
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> Thanks.
> Marius Hancu

It means 'like a hunting dog on the trail of the prey', but I wouldn't
call it a common idiom. Other similar comparisons might be more common -
"like a bloodhound on a trail" etc. I don't know of a similar comparison
using beagles, but there should be since I believe they are notorious
for following scents while ignoring all attempts to be called off the trail.

Signature

Cheryl

Reply to this Message

John Dean - 02 Jan 2010 16:00 GMT

>> Hello:
>>
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
> called off the
> trail.

Common, perhaps, in fox-hunting circles and ISTR Sebastian skiving off a
hunt to go drinking with money borrowed from Charles.

Signature

John Dean
Oxford

Reply to this Message

Marius Hancu - 02 Jan 2010 16:07 GMT

> >> Is this
> >> "She's had her nose down"
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
> Common, perhaps, in fox-hunting circles and ISTR Sebastian skiving off a
> hunt to go drinking with money borrowed from Charles.

Skiving off? I like it.

Thanks.
Marius Hancu

Reply to this Message

Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2010

Waugh: She's had her nose down