Questions tagged [language-explanation]
A tag for questions asking "what did the author mean by this word/sentence"?
61
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What does "she" in "she needs" refer to?
Quill had breakfast with his grand-pa, who was busy reading a
"The St. Charles Post" article:
Quill: I mean, if she needs help mowing her lawn, I'll do it, but I
kinda feel like her son ...
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-6
votes
1
answer
63
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What does "you " in "you do" refer to?
At Orgocorp, Star-Lord is speaking to Ura, who, under the threat of Gamora’s gun,
managed to acquire the 89P13 patent, which is required to save Rocket:
Star-Lord: I'm so sorry about this, Ura.
...
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1
vote
1
answer
298
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Why did Drax say, "Every single time"?
Mantis manipulates Bletelsnort’s mind, which makes Bletelsnort
flirt with Drax:
Bletelsnort: What was... What was your name again?
Drax: Drax the Destroyer.
Bletelsnort: That is such a lovely name. I'...
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0
votes
1
answer
90
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Why did High Evolutionary say, "Toodle-oo"?
Adam Warlock fails to catch Rocket, which disappoints the High Evolutionary.
Consequently, the High Evolutionary warns the High Priestess:
High Evolutionary: Find 89P13 and return it to me, or I will ...
- 263
-2
votes
1
answer
95
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What does "does it words" mean?
Floor meets Rocket in the cage:
Floor: Mask, eyes, face, mouth, does it words?
What does "does it words" mean?
- 263
3
votes
1
answer
577
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What does "that" in "No one ever meant that, Drax" refer to?
Rocket suggests Mantis to make Peter happy using her powers. Groot questions, Nebula is surprised, and Mantis misunderstands Rocket’s suggestion. Rocket clarifies he meant her powers, not physical ...
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5
votes
0
answers
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Why does Victor Timely say "pumpkins" in this scene?
Loki Season 2, episode 6, the finale.
When Victor Timely has just completed the momentous task of "fixing" the Temporal Loom, he returns along the bridge/promontory to the TVA in triumph (13 ...
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votes
1
answer
198
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What does "beach you off" mean?
Ken 1 was injured while trying to surf on a board:
Ken 2: Looks like this beach was a little too much beach for you, Ken.
Ken 1: If I wasn't severely injured, I would beach you off right now,
Ken.
...
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6
votes
1
answer
625
views
What does "lethal protection" mean?
In Venom Let There Be Carnage (2021), Eddie says to Venom:
Eddie: Buddy, I'm the only person that took you in when your friends kicked you off the planet Ming-Mong, 'cause you are a reject! You are a ...
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36
votes
1
answer
6k
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Why would a ship-launching woman need to resemble a champagne bottle?
In "The Light Fantastic", rather early in the book, I was a bit surprised by the phrase
the object of desire did indeed look like a bottle of champagne
to justify claiming that the
...
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9
votes
1
answer
299
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What was Niven's fix for the problem in "Neutron Star"?
This is a follow-up to the question 'Unclear meaning of introductory blurb to "Neutron Star"', which quotes Niven writing retrospectively "As is, Schaeffer dies. See the collection ...
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13
votes
3
answers
1k
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Unclear meaning of introductory blurb to "Neutron Star"
I'm reading "Neutron Star" in the collection The Best of Larry Niven (on archive). Before the story there is a blurb:
This won my first Hugo Award, and a lot of mail. There are folk out ...
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-5
votes
1
answer
255
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What exactly is Dr Strange scared of?
In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), Dr Strange-616 says to Christine-838:
Dr Strange-616: I love you in every universe. It's not that I don't wanna care for someone or have someone ...
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-1
votes
1
answer
160
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Why does Christine-838 regret missing the dangerous Incursion?
Christine-838: What's your universe like?
Strange-616: It's very beautiful. I wish I could show you.
Christine-838: I'd really like that. But I have to go.
Strange-616: Yeah. Yeah, I know.
Christine-...
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8
votes
2
answers
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Why does Agent Smith refer to himself as "a" Smith, as though there are multiple Smiths?
When Morpheus first fights Agent Smith, he calls himself "A Smith. Agent Smith"
Does this imply that there are other copies of the Smith program in different roles other than agent? Are ...
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1
answer
92
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What does "those lives" refer to?
In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), Scarlet Witch comes face-to-face with Dr. Strange at Kamar-Taj to get America Chavez.
SCARLET WITCH: You gave all those lives just to keep me ...
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-2
votes
1
answer
186
views
What does "Sanc..." mean?
In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), Dr. Strange rescues America Chavez from Gargantos. Afterwards, he and Wong
each ask her a different question:
Dr Strange: Hey, kid. What did ...
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votes
1
answer
73
views
What did Scarlet mean by the line: "Because so many people do?"
From the book, Cress (2014), by Marissa Meyer:
Wolf rubbed his temple. “Let’s hope you never have to face off against the
queen’s real soldiers. I think we stand a chance going up against her
...
1
vote
1
answer
146
views
What does the "it" in "He's the one that's gonna get it" refer to?
In The Matrix Reloaded (2003), Cas says to Link about Zee:
Cas: You be careful with her.
Zee: Don't worry about me. He's the one that's gonna get it.
What does the "it" in "get it&...
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6
votes
1
answer
2k
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What did Trinity mean by this line in The Matrix Reloaded?
In The Matrix Reloaded (2003), Neo saves Trinity's life after she's shot by an Agent while falling from a building. She then says:
I guess this makes us even.
What did she mean by that?
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1
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What does "sniffed" mean in this context?
“May I take you through to the dining room, Mrs. Mason?” said Dudley, offering his fat arm to an invisible woman. “My perfect little gentleman!” sniffed Aunt Petunia. “And you?” said Uncle Vernon ...
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votes
1
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Does "leading" here mean that Neville is coming with Professor McGonagall?
Neville and Professor McGonagall appear to be together here, or am I mistaken?
Had Harry thought that things couldn’t have been worse? He was wrong. When Professor McGonagall appeared, she was ...
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votes
1
answer
61
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The Coven baby blues
From the book: The Coven Elemental Magic
Page 7 -
"The whites of her eyes all but swallowed her baby blues"
Her baby blues is her eyes? How the whites of her eyes can swallow her baby blues?
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votes
1
answer
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What is meant by "glanced over my shoulder to the parking lot"...?
From the book: The Coven: Elemental Magic, page 1:
I frowned and glanced over my shoulder to the parking lot drenched in fog.
What does "glanced over my shoulder to the parking lot" mean? ...
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3
votes
1
answer
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What does J.M.Ledgard mean in this section of 'Vespers'?
Space is not a blackness pricked. All the hidden places I know are matched dark purple. Purple flows under the keel and out to the coma. The stars shine for me like amethysts. I look from the ditches ...
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23
votes
4
answers
8k
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Orc calls elves "filth?"
The orcs insult and disparage elves but they use terms that seem too human -- is something being filth that big a deal to an orc? So are we getting only an imprecise translation of what orcs say often,...
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Lunar Silver star text question
Come on, Nall! If anyone knows anything about money, it's me! Let's do
it one more time. It'll be fun, I promise!
Brett: You kids are back? Come on, now. I don't wanna win no more of your
allowances......
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9
votes
4
answers
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Why is Sam unsure about whether or not he has taken out the Elf-rope before in chapter 12 of Two Towers?
(It may be considered chapter 1 of "book two" of The Two Towers. I'm calling it chapter 12 based on my EPUB file names.)
‘It’s good to be able to see again,’ said Frodo, breathing deep. ‘Do ...
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votes
1
answer
2k
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What does just "on" mean as a response to "where would it take me"?
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011), Dumbledore and Harry met at Limbo:
Dumbledore: We're in King's Cross, you say? I think, if you so
desired, you'd be able to board a train.
Harry:...
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11
votes
1
answer
882
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When/why do Jedi and Sith say "destroy" instead of "kill"?
In Return of the Jedi, Luke says to Vader:
That was why you couldn't destroy me. That's why you won't take me to your emperor now.
Later, the Emperor says to Luke:
If you will not be turned, you ...
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0
votes
0
answers
67
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What does the German translate to in Philip K. Dick's "A Scanner Darkly"? [duplicate]
When the main character Bob Arctor starts doubting himself after he writes a bad check to a locksmith. Arctor thought that his roommate wrote the check as a scam, but Arctor realized the handrwriting ...
7
votes
3
answers
445
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What does Amy mean by "washing up"?
Continuing my quest of translating Doctor Who, in "The God Complex" I encountered a piece of dialogue which I can't really understand.
In the farewell scene at the end, Amy says
Well, I ...
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14
votes
5
answers
4k
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What does The Doctor mean by "Hello" in "The beast below"?
Near the end of "The beast below", there is this exchange between Amy and The Doctor:
Amy: Have you ever run away from something, because... because you were scared, or... or not ready, or ...
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7
votes
1
answer
3k
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What does "Öl" mean near the bath building?
In the German version of the anime "Spirited Away", when Chihiro first sees the building where the ghosts go to bathe, the signs in Japanese (at the red tower and the flag) are translated as ...
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0
answers
278
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Does Shohobohaum Za character allude to the USSR?
The ambassador Shohobohaum Za in The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks shows the following features.
He is a drunkard and has propensity to brawls – a known stereotype of a Russian.
He dismantles a ...
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11
votes
2
answers
674
views
What accent do trolls in Discworld have?
“Dis der Riot Act and you’ve all got to read it, right?
“Boys, if dere was a PhD in bein’ fick, youse wouldn’t be able to find a pencil.”
These are a couple of quotes from Detritus, the Troll in the ...
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4
votes
1
answer
231
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What does soak in Richard Morgan's Thin Air mean?
I've Googled for the meaning of 'soak' in Thin Air, but I'm not sure that the most reasonable explanation I found is actually what Richard Morgan meant.
He was young, but there was a gritty rock-...
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1
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2k
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What is a "shilicashe?"
On page 138 of my edition of The Light Fantastic, Cohen the Barbarian tells Twoflower and Rincewind about trolls, and tries to say a word that I cannot at all identify (emphasis added):
"Trollsh ...
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70
votes
2
answers
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What term is being referred to with "reflected-sound-of-underground-spirits"?
In The Colour of Magic, on page 46 of my copy, Twoflower says this word:
“Reflected-sound-of-underground-spirits?”
What term is being referred to above?
It seems to be like “in-sewer-ants-policy”,...
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2
votes
1
answer
2k
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What does this joke mean in "Get Schwifty"?
In Rick and Morty season 2 episode 5 "Get Schwifty", Father Bob says this to a panicking church (emphasis mine):
People! Everyone! Remain calm! Every crisis of faith is an opportunity for more ...
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13
votes
1
answer
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What does 0.2 tenths of the population mean?
In Clarence Brown's1 English translation of Yevgeny Zamyatin's (Russian: Евге́ний Замя́тин) dystopian novel We (1921) (Russian: Мы), there is a passage of text, referring to population, which confused ...
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votes
1
answer
1k
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What does Shagrat mean by "Hola"?
In the chapter "The Choices of Master Samwise", Shagrat yells
Hola! Gorbag! What are you doing up here? Had enough of war already?
It seems bizarre that orcs would be using Spanish words. What ...
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10
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1
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What does this phrase from Ursula Le Guin's book "The Lathe of Heaven" mean?
On page 12 of the novel "The Lathe of Heaven", Dr. Haber offers Mr. Orr some cigarettes and says
"Do you smoke ? The brown filters are tranks, the white are denicks."
What do the words "tranks" ...
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2
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What does this line mean in the Watchmen movie?
At the end, when Rorschach decides to reveal Veidt's plan out to world, Manhattan gets in his way and Rorschach says:
Of course, you must protect Veidt's new utopia.
What did this line mean ?
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Is the 7th of the Seven Words ever revealed and what are their meanings?
In the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Book 2, The Illearth War, chapter 17 "Tull’s Tale," the account of Lord Hyrim’s combat with turiya Raver is given, and we see him speak six words (...
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4
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In 1984, is the political ideology Death Worship (Obliteration of Self) related to eastern religions/philosophies?
At some point In 1984 by George Orwell, O'Brien gives a copy of Emmanuel Goldstein's book to the protagonist Winston. In the book the official political ideology of the Eastasian Government is called ...
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7
votes
1
answer
924
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What does "Tas" mean?
Page 20 of A Deepness in the Sky:
"Tas been done often enough afore, dontcha know? Get ‘em when they
don’t know technology—or haven’t yet rebuilt it,” said Brughel.
What does "Tas" ...
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35
votes
1
answer
7k
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Are the English subtitles for The Thing (2011) wrong?
I understand both Norwegian and Danish. The English subtitles for many of the the Norwegian and Danish lines in this movie seem quite off.
For example, "Sitt stille" is subtitled as "Turn on the ...
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1
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What is a "plank" in Snow Crash?
In Snow Crash, there is a line:
First MetaCop leans her plank against the wall, ...
What is a plank?
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10
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Why is R2-D2 considered a droid?
Oxford dictionaries defines "android" as:
a robot with a human appearance.
I assume droid is a shortened version of android. This makes sense for C-3PO, who is obviously humanoid in appearance, ...
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