0
Fin1990 Posted 20 years ago
Vocabulary
[3 questions]boot in first/ in the cards of me?/ placing me in fruit cake.
Recently I read TIME and came across some sentences that I don't understand.
1. "He immediately placing me in the marzipan (almost uppermost) layer of the British social fruist cake. "
2. "People make assumptions: men think I 'll try and run the place, strangers think I'll look down on them- so they get the boot in first."
3. "So is lazy RP (received pronunciation) in the cards of me?"
What are the meanings of the highlighted words?
Thank You.
P.S. the above three sentences are quoted from "Why Can't the English Learn How to Speak?" September 25, 2006 , TIME
1. "He immediately placing me in the marzipan (almost uppermost) layer of the British social fruist cake. "
2. "People make assumptions: men think I 'll try and run the place, strangers think I'll look down on them- so they get the boot in first."
3. "So is lazy RP (received pronunciation) in the cards of me?"
What are the meanings of the highlighted words?
Thank You.
P.S. the above three sentences are quoted from "Why Can't the English Learn How to Speak?" September 25, 2006 , TIME
Top answer
1. "He immediately placing me in the marzipan (almost uppermost) layer of the British social fruist cake . " [See the society as as a cake with several layers.
- 1.
- "He immediately placing me in the marzipan (almost uppermost) layer of the British social fruist cake .
- " [See the society as as a cake with several layers.
- You're at the top, in the (presumed) best layer.
- Or perhaps it's the most crusty/most rigid layer.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
7 Answers
0
1. "He immediately placing me in the marzipan (almost uppermost) layer of the British social fruist cake. "[See the society as as a cake with several layers. You're at the top, in the (presumed) best layer. Or perhaps it's the most crusty/most rigid layer. Not sure. But I think you've cut the sentence a
00
1. The marzipan is the second layer from the top on a fruit cake, so you are nearly on the uppermost level, but not quite. This is being used as a metaphor for 'class'.
2. get the boot in first - attack first (get the boot in - kick)
3. in the cards for me - in my future
2. get the boot in first - attack first (get the boot in - kick)
3. in the cards for me - in my future
00
2. Nona might well be right here, but the sentence is still strange to me.
00
0
0
I agree with Nona about 2.
in 3 I'd say "on the cards for me", but it's certainly a strange sentence. I can't imagine why a certain pronunciation should be in somebody's future.
in 3 I'd say "on the cards for me", but it's certainly a strange sentence. I can't imagine why a certain pronunciation should be in somebody's future.
00
"in the cards" - I believe it's a reference to fortune telling and Tarot cards. Definitely IN.
It doesn't appear to be in the cards. = Not very likely to happen.
It doesn't appear to be in the cards. = Not very likely to happen.
0
Related Questions