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Vocabobobo Posted 17 years ago
Vocabulary
A confusing sentence
Hello. I was reading a novel and ran into a sentence which is quite difficult for me to precisely interpret.
The following sentence appears in a paragraph describing "the most mundane and ordinary streets of Budapest", preceded by a sentence describing "the most mundane and ordinary passersby": Every now and then, perhaps in a hurry to overtake the single file inching along in front, one of them would step off the sidewalk, only for an entire chorus of rancorous carhorns to give the lie to any groundless hope of breaking free from the line.
The parts in bold are the ones that are giving me troubles.
What does "file" mean in this sentence?
And what does it mean for something to "give the lie to" something?
Please help.
Thank you so much in advance.
The following sentence appears in a paragraph describing "the most mundane and ordinary streets of Budapest", preceded by a sentence describing "the most mundane and ordinary passersby": Every now and then, perhaps in a hurry to overtake the single file inching along in front, one of them would step off the sidewalk, only for an entire chorus of rancorous carhorns to give the lie to any groundless hope of breaking free from the line.
The parts in bold are the ones that are giving me troubles.
What does "file" mean in this sentence?
And what does it mean for something to "give the lie to" something?
Please help.
Thank you so much in advance.
Top answer
Have you never watched an inchworm? "To inch," or "to inch along" is to move forward at a very slow (though usually steady) pace. "Single file" describes people in a row, one following another.
- Have you never watched an inchworm?
- "To inch," or "to inch along" is to move forward at a very slow (though usually steady) pace.
- "Single file" describes people in a row, one following another.
- Some of the details are not clear.
- Is the "single file" a line of vehicles or of people??
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2 Answers
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Have you never watched an inchworm?
"To inch," or "to inch along" is to move forward at a very slow (though usually steady) pace.
"To inch," or "to inch along" is to move forward at a very slow (though usually steady) pace.
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