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Discussion Groups / English Usage / February 2010Hiassen: Cavitating into unconsciousness
Hello: Now "Cavitating into unconsciousness" this is a spectacular find, but what's the intended meaning of it? ---- [She's thrown in the ocean from a cruise liner. Now in water, a bale of grass butts against her.] Thrashing and grunting, she beat at the thing with both fists until the last of her strength was gone. Cavitating into unconsciousness, she was subjected to [a view of her husband] Carl Hiaasen, Skinny Dip, p. 12 http://tinyurl.com/ybwlkq ---- -- Thanks. Marius Hancu In our last episode, <6ddd08a6-6178-451a-9f52-a5d39806c8de@u41g2000yqe.googlegroups.com>, the lovely and talented Marius Hancu broadcast on alt.usage.english: > Hello: > Now > "Cavitating into unconsciousness" > this is a spectacular find, > but what's the intended meaning of it? Cavitating is the process that causes the hammering in plumbing when a valve is turned off or on quickly. I have been in building that seemed about to wreck themselves from the vibration of the walls. I suppose this refers to the involuntary muscle spasm or small seizure that often accompanies a blow to the head sufficient to cause unconsciousness. It is not clear to me whether this is supposed to be a metaphor for her subjective experience or for the appearance of what was happening to her body --- the former if I had to guess. > ---- > [She's thrown in the ocean from a cruise liner. Now in water, a bale > of grass butts against her.] > Thrashing and grunting, she beat at the thing with both fists until > the last of her strength was gone. Cavitating into unconsciousness, > she was subjected to [a view of her husband] > Carl Hiaasen, Skinny Dip, p. 12 > http://tinyurl.com/ybwlkq > ---- > -- > Thanks. > Marius Hancu  SignatureLars Eighner <http://larseighner.com/> Warbama's Afghaninam day: 65 1566.8 hours since Warbama declared Viet Nam II. Warbama: An LBJ for the Twenty-First century. No hope. No change. > Hello: > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > the last of her strength was gone. Cavitating into unconsciousness, > she was subjected to [a view of her husband] Blimey. Cavitation is the formation of gas bubbles in a flowing fluid medium, which can lead to a number of effects including pressure waves in the fluid resulting in knocking, and the pitting of hard surfaces by the bubbles as they form. I would guess that the word is referring to the oscillation and percussion of her by the bale of grass (for horses?). I'm no expert in this field, but when Daughter was applying to study Engineering at universities, I had to drive her to various UK cities for interviews. Sometimes, the department would put on a tour for the parents. I met one researcher who had spent all his life trying to find ways of eliminating cavitation in fluids - he showed us a metal plate which had been almost worn away simply by the creation of these little bubbles. SignatureDavid > > Now > > "Cavitating into unconsciousness" [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > fluid resulting in knocking, and the pitting of hard surfaces by the > bubbles as they form. I know all this, that's why my OP. > I would guess that the word is referring to the oscillation and > percussion of her by the bale of grass (for horses?). No, for people: marijuana:-) > I'm no expert in this field, but when Daughter was applying to study > Engineering at universities, I had to drive her to various UK cities for [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > which had been almost worn away simply by the creation of these little > bubbles. Right. Very important on ship propellers. Marius Hancu >>> Now >>> "Cavitating into unconsciousness" [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > > No, for people: marijuana:-) Never mind the cavitation - a "bale" of "grass" is a huge quantity. Are they smugglers? SignatureDavid > >>> Now > >>> "Cavitating into unconsciousness" [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > Never mind the cavitation - a "bale" of "grass" is a huge quantity. Are > they smugglers? No, but it's assumed there are smugglers in the area, bringing in the stuff from Jamaica, if I remember. Just a coincidence. Marius Hancu >> Hello: >> [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > plate which had been almost worn away simply by the creation of these > little bubbles. Yes, and cavitation is a source of inefficiency in screw propellers. It may have been the first real technical term I ever learned: there was a picture of a tank-test of a prop "cavitating badly" in a book --very likely _The Wonder Book of Ships_ --I was given at the age of seven or eight. I do hate it when anybody other than wholly infallible me messes around like that. He presumably knew vaguely that cavitation happened under water, so it couldn't have been quite the same as levitation, aviation, or equitation, but, hey, it was obviously that kind of floaty-ridey-drifty thing, only sort of like in a cave or a cavity or whatever, so whack it in and impress the punters. It's a sort of Landersitis. SignatureMike. |
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