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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2010Morrison: swung easily
Hello: Does "swung easily over" mean what in athletics would be called "performed a side scissors jump?" --- [Guitar wants to catch a white peacock in a yard, in order to eat him] He swung easily over the double pipes that bordered the lot and began to circle the bird at at a distance [...] Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon, p. 179 --- -- Thanks. Marius Hancu > Hello: > [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > Thanks. > Marius Hancu Possibly. I don't know what a side scissors jump is, but he'd probably have put his hands on the top rail (or in this case pipe), and used that support to swing his legs over.  SignatureCheryl >> Hello: >> [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] >have put his hands on the top rail (or in this case pipe), and used that >support to swing his legs over. I assumed Marius was referring to this type of jump in a High Jump competition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZfziV_ydzs Obviously in that event the athlete must not touch the bar with any part of the body. SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) >Hello: > >Does >"swung easily over" >mean what in athletics would be called >"performed a side scissors jump?" Possibly but not necessarily. It is possible that he would have put one hand on a pipe to support himself and then swung his legs and body across the pipes. Whether he scissored or swung both legs simultaneously is not indicated. Whether his legs touched the pipes is not indicated. To me "swung easily over" suggests a quick flowing movement. >--- >[Guitar wants to catch a white peacock in a yard, in order to eat [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon, p. 179 >--- SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) On Jan 17, 7:45 am, "Peter Duncanson (BrE)" <m...@peterduncanson.net> wrote: > >Does > >"swung easily over" [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > >He swung easily over the double pipes that bordered the lot and began > >to circle the bird at at a distance [...] Thank you both. Marius Hancu >Does >"swung easily over" >mean what in athletics would be called >"performed a side scissors jump?" "Easily" suggests to me that he didn't need to do that--either he swung both legs over together in a single motion, or he swung each leg over without even breaking his walking stride. ¬R >< http://users.bestweb.net/~notr/zangelding.html >< "I'm trying to come up with English words which have a mute final 'e'. The only ones I can think of are all first names . . . . Are there any others?" --Bd. >Hello: > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon, p. 179 >--- I can easily visualize what "swung easily over" describes, but I can't figure out the reference to the double pipes that bordered the lot. They must be large-diameter horizontal pipes to require swinging over, instead of stepping over, but what do they carry? It does seem that Morrison would not refer to the pipes without some previous reference to the nature of them. An author, in a novel, wouldn't use something like this out of the blue when it would be easier to use "fence". Why is no one else in the thread asking about this? (Several posts have been made on the "swinging over" aspect) Are pipe borders common on lots elseplace? SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida > >Does > >"swung easily over" [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > They must be large-diameter horizontal pipes to require swinging over, > instead of stepping over, but what do they carry? They may be empty, welded together to make up a fence. Even though the area seems to be poor. > It does seem that Morrison would not refer to the pipes without some > previous reference to the nature of them. An author, in a novel, > wouldn't use something like this out of the blue when it would be > easier to use "fence". Well, I remarked "pipes," but until p. 200, I didn't find any references to them. And Google Books finds it the only reference to: "pipes" "song of solomon" "toni morrison" > Why is no one else in the thread asking about this? (Several posts > have been made on the "swinging over" aspect) Are pipe borders common > on lots elseplace? Wouldn't know. Thanks. Marius Hancu >> >Does >> >"swung easily over" [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] >They may be empty, welded together to make up a fence. Even though the >area seems to be poor. The poverty of the area might be a clue. The fence might have been improvised with cast-off pipes acquired from elsewhere. The pipes might have been in use somewhere carrying water. If there was an increased need for water the pipes would be replaced by larger ones. That would leave some old unused pipes. Also a pipe that has become leaky could still be usable as part of a fence. SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) >> Hello: >> [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > > I thought it must be a fence using pipes, for some reason, in place of wood. I don't mean a picket fence; I mean the ones that have two planks nailed to the posts...well, technically, four planks to each post; but I mean the barrier is two planks high. And for some reason, the people who built this fence used pipes in place of the planks. It happens. Some people improvise all kinds of arrangements for fencing, and some fencing is attached to metal pipes. SignatureCheryl >>> Hello: >>> [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > people improvise all kinds of arrangements for fencing, and some fencing > is attached to metal pipes. Fencing constructed of steel pipes is common enough, especially for enclosing livestock. Here are a few images: <http://clusty.com/search?v%3aproject=clusty-images&query=%22pipe%20fencing%22> <http://tinyurl.com/yk6dv52> Google on "pipe fencing" to find a supplier near you. SignatureLes (BrE) >>>> Hello: >>>> [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] > >Google on "pipe fencing" to find a supplier near you. I forgot about livestock fencing. In fact, I saw some earlier today when out looking for photographable things and looking for some interesting barns. SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida [...] >>Fencing constructed of steel pipes is common enough, especially for >>enclosing livestock. Here are a few images: [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > when out looking for photographable things and looking for some > interesting barns. I've also seen it used to protect the unwary from dangerous places: bottomless abysses, for example, or deep water next to a path. In these cases, those responsible either value human life or are afraid of being sued if something happens. Since my last post, I've remembered that WIWAL we were taught the "gate vault" as a way of getting over certain types of fencing. Here is how you use it to swing easily over a two-pipe fence: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWR2lglY2yQY The tutorial doesn't say so, but first make sure there is no bottomless abbess on the other side of the fence. SignatureLes (BrE) > [...] > [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWR2lglY2yQY > The tutorial doesn't say so, but first make sure there is no bottomless > abbess on the other side of the fence. Sorry! The link picked up an extra "Y" from somewhere. Here's the right one: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWR2lglY2yQ> SignatureLes (BrE) >> Since my last post, I've remembered that WIWAL we were taught the "gate >> vault" as a way of getting over certain types of fencing. Here is how [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > ><http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWR2lglY2yQ> That's not quite a gate-vault as I know and practise it; I keep my legs and feet together, and I don't do that somersault bit: that is, I end facing towards the fence, not away from it. But it's still one of the best and quickest ways to get over a gate. (And I like doing it, because people don't expect it of me.) SignatureKaty Jennison spamtrap: remove the first two letters after the @ >>> Since my last post, I've remembered that WIWAL we were taught the >>> "gate vault" as a way of getting over certain types of fencing. Here [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > legs and feet together, and I don't do that somersault bit: that is, I > end facing towards the fence, not away from it. Yes, I think my gate vaults are also more like yours than they are like the one in the tutorial. The essential bit is grasping the top rail with one hand and reaching down on the far side of the fence with the other. The elaborated version is probably more useful for those running to escape the law (or other dread entity) than for normal people who merely wish to get over a fence with the minimum of fuss. > But it's still one of > the best and quickest ways to get over a gate. (And I like doing it, > because people don't expect it of me.) Good point! I shall perform a gate vault at the next available opportunity, preferably in the company of people who would not expect it of me--in other words, more or less anybody. SignatureLes (BrE) >> Since my last post, I've remembered that WIWAL we were taught the "gate >> vault" as a way of getting over certain types of fencing. Here is how [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Sorry! The link picked up an extra "Y" from somewhere. Perhaps it's the one that the abbess lost. SignaturePeter Moylan, Newcastle, NSW, Australia. http://www.pmoylan.org For an e-mail address, see my web page. >>> Since my last post, I've remembered that WIWAL we were taught the "gate >>> vault" as a way of getting over certain types of fencing. Here is how [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >Perhaps it's the one that the abbess lost. To become bottomless she must have lost more than that. SignatureRobin (BrE) Herts, England >>> Hello: >>> [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] >people improvise all kinds of arrangements for fencing, and some fencing >is attached to metal pipes. I know that "I've never seen one" is not a suitable reason to deny them, but I haven't seen one and I can't imagine that there is one. Pipe is far too costly to use as fencing. Finding enough scrap pipe would be more difficult than finding enough scrap wood or wire. I was taking some photographs a while back at an abandoned citrus packing plant. There were lines of large-bore pipe - about 12" in diameter - from the windmill-driven well to several of the buildings. They were on blocks and about three feet above the ground. I suspect that something like this is more likely than a fence. Gas lines, perhaps. Another thing that I can't imagine is that Morrison would have someone swinging over pipes in a fictional account without first setting the scene. I suggest that there's something in the context that explains this. SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida > [Guitar wants to catch a white peacock in a yard, in order to eat > him] [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon, p. 179 Rather than a scissors jump, this suggests to me a vault (with hands on the top of the barrier, to help swinging the legs over confidently.) SignatureDon Phillipson Carlsbad Springs (Ottawa, Canada) |
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