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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2010Morrison: up under the bar
Hello: I don't see the motivation for "up under (the bar)" here. I see more of an "down under (the bar)." --- [Hagar (a woman) wants to kill Milkman for calling off their relationship. He's admonished by his friend, Guitar, for hiding during the last attempt at a drinking place] "You know how sharp a Carlson skinning knife is? Cut you like a laser, man." "I know." "No, you don't know. You was up under the bar when me and Moon grabbed her." Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon, p. 119 --- -- Thanks. Marius Hancu >Hello: > [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > >Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon, p. 119 I haven't read the book, but I'm guessing that Guitar was either the bartender or working behind the bar at the time of the incident. In case you don't know, "bar" is what we call a "drinking place". There are pubs in the UK, and bars in the US. The "up under" is a bit strange. It's a enough like "tucked up underneath" to be understandable, though. >---  SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida > >I don't see the motivation for > >"up under (the bar)" [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > I haven't read the book, but I'm guessing that Guitar was either the > bartender or working behind the bar at the time of the incident. No indication of that. >In case you don't know, "bar" is what we call a "drinking place". There > are pubs in the UK, and bars in the US. That I know, but the meaning here seems to be: --- 5 a : a counter at which food or especially alcoholic beverages are served <had a cocktail at the bar> <snack bar> <milk bar> --- > The "up under" is a bit strange. It's a enough like "tucked up > underneath" to be understandable, though. OK, that may work. Thank you. Marius Hancu >> >I don't see the motivation for >> >"up under (the bar)" [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] >5 a : a counter at which food or especially alcoholic beverages are >served <had a cocktail at the bar> <snack bar> <milk bar> Yes, that's what I meant by "working behind the bar". A bar (the place) contains a bar (counter). You either sit at the bar or belly up to the bar in a bar. (Or sit somewhere not at the bar in the bar) >> The "up under" is a bit strange. It's a enough like "tucked up >> underneath" to be understandable, though. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >Thank you. >Marius Hancu SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida >>Hello: >> [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > case you don't know, "bar" is what we call a "drinking place". There > are pubs in the UK, and bars in the US. Here I'd say that it's literally the bar at such an establishment. Milkman (not Guitar, that's the one speaking) was hiding underneath it the last time Hagar tried to kill him. > The "up under" is a bit strange. It's a enough like "tucked up > underneath" to be understandable, though. I'd read it as "up [there at the bar hiding] under the bar". "Up [at the bar]" giving the place in the room and "under the bar" giving the actual location with respect to the bar. SignatureEvan Kirshenbaum +------------------------------------ HP Laboratories |The reason that we don't have 1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 |"bear-proof" garbage cans in the Palo Alto, CA 94304 |park is that there is a significant |overlap in intelligence between the kirshenbaum@hpl.hp.com |smartest bears and the dumbest (650)857-7572 |humans. | Yosemite Park Ranger http://www.kirshenbaum.net/ > >>I don't see the motivation for > >>"up under (the bar)" [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > the bar]" giving the place in the room and "under the bar" giving the > actual location with respect to the bar. OK, sounds reasonable. Thanks. Marius Hancu >Hello: > >I don't see the motivation for >"up under (the bar)" >here. Why did you say motivation? SignatureSteve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa Web: http://hayesfam.bravehost.com/stevesig.htm Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk > >I don't see the motivation for > >"up under (the bar)" > >here. > > Why did you say motivation? Should have said "the reasons for." Thanks. Marius Hancu >> >I don't see the motivation for >> >"up under (the bar)" [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Thanks. > Marius Hancu It's a regional rural dialect. >>> >I don't see the motivation for >>> >"up under (the bar)" [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >It's a regional rural dialect. In South Africa its Afrikaner faux ami bureaucratese. SignatureSteve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa Web: http://hayesfam.bravehost.com/stevesig.htm Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk >> Hello: >> [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Why did you say motivation? It's not a rare word, is it? SignaturePeter Moylan, Newcastle, NSW, Australia. http://www.pmoylan.org For an e-mail address, see my web page. >>> Hello: >>> [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >> >It's not a rare word, is it? I don't think anyone would do anything sans motivation. SignatureSteve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa Web: http://hayesfam.bravehost.com/stevesig.htm Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk >>>> Hello: >>>> [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > >I don't think anyone would do anything sans motivation. Now we're in trouble. SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE |
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