 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion GroupsEnglish UsageBritish EnglishESL Teaching Learnglish.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Discussion Groups / English Usage / February 2010Vachss: dropped to her haunches
Hello: "Dropped to her haunches" does it it "crouched," just faster? --- [Immaculata is a counsellor, talking to children here] Immaculata gracefully dropped to her haunches, her eyes level with the children's faces. Andrew Vachss, Strega, p. 210 ---- -- Thanks. Marius Hancu > Hello: > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Immaculata gracefully dropped to her haunches, her eyes level with the > children's faces. It means that she lowered herself to a position where she was sitting on her own heels. The haunches are the bits between the hips and the top of the buttocks. The word is not normally used of people except in this idiom - it's more common in butchery. There's no indication of any speed - it's just the position which is being described.  SignatureDavid > > "Dropped to her haunches" > > does it it [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > idiom - it's more common in butchery. There's no indication of any > speed - it's just the position which is being described. OK. I thought "dropped" is related to speed. Good to know it isn't. The question about "crouch" remains: can the same be expressed with it? It seems so: --- Face of Betrayal - Page 80 Lis Wiehl, April Henry - Fiction - 2009 - 320 pages Instead, Sonika sank down until she crouched on her heels. ---- But do they mean the same? Thanks. Marius Hancu >>> "Dropped to her haunches" >>> does it it [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > > But do they mean the same? Yes, they usually mean the same thing. I have a feeling that "crouched" can mean other low postures as well, but I can't think of an example. SignatureDavid >>>> "Dropped to her haunches" >>>> does it it [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > Yes, they usually mean the same thing. I have a feeling that "crouched" > can mean other low postures as well, but I can't think of an example. 'Crouched' can mean crouching forward, on or almost on one's hands and knees. In this case, it means the same thing as dropping to one's haunches - the torso could be entirely upright, or leaning very slightly towards the children. SignatureCheryl >>> "Dropped to her haunches" >>> does it it [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > > But do they mean the same? Close, anyway. I would use "drop" to imply a faster, and perhaps less-controlled, movement than "sink"; but I think both imply smooth motion. CDB lowered himself painfully to his haunches, then immediately fell over sideways with a despairing cry. CDB: > I would use "drop" to imply a faster, and perhaps less-controlled, > movement than "sink"; but I think both imply smooth motion. Compare "squat", one of the three lifts in powerlifting, where the movement is carefully controlled. SignatureJohn "Marius Hancu" <marius.hancu@gmail.com> wrote in message news:afb1f9cb-415b-40c9-8fae-: > > "Dropped to her haunches" > > does it it > > "crouched," > > just faster? like this http://johnstodderinexile.files.wordpress.com/2006/06/phil-mickelson-crouching.jpg |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2012 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.