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Usenet Posted 21 years ago
English in UK
A phrase I am not sure about
Hello Newsgroup!
I am new to this place, so I am not sure at all if this is the right place to put my question (also please excuse my a bit rusted english - it's been a while since I spoke to a native speaker.
So I am wondering about this: I own the internet-domain www.iron-butterfly.de (nothing to see there at the moment, and when I registered it I did not think about the band "iron butterfly" - that was before I started to listen to music). Now I want to put some blog onto that page, and I am looking for some kind of a theme, and randomly listened to a song from garbage, calles "butterfly collector". There is also mentioned "queen of the butterfly collectors".
Well ... as I am already a bit embarresed about me not knowing "Iron ButterflY" (bought a CD now ;-) ), I wonder if there is a special meaning in this "(king of the) butterfly collectors"? Somehow I fear that this is a phrase that might be used by a subculture, and it might mean something I don't want to be connected with.
Oh, maybe I am totally wrong, and people now wonder about this line, so here is a link to the lyrics of the song:
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/garbage/butterflycollector.html
Sorry again for my rusty english (this is what happens if you speak to russian and chinese people in english all the time ... hope it was not too bad!)
Thank you in advance!
Stefan
I am new to this place, so I am not sure at all if this is the right place to put my question (also please excuse my a bit rusted english - it's been a while since I spoke to a native speaker.
So I am wondering about this: I own the internet-domain www.iron-butterfly.de (nothing to see there at the moment, and when I registered it I did not think about the band "iron butterfly" - that was before I started to listen to music). Now I want to put some blog onto that page, and I am looking for some kind of a theme, and randomly listened to a song from garbage, calles "butterfly collector". There is also mentioned "queen of the butterfly collectors".
Well ... as I am already a bit embarresed about me not knowing "Iron ButterflY" (bought a CD now ;-) ), I wonder if there is a special meaning in this "(king of the) butterfly collectors"? Somehow I fear that this is a phrase that might be used by a subculture, and it might mean something I don't want to be connected with.
Oh, maybe I am totally wrong, and people now wonder about this line, so here is a link to the lyrics of the song:
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/garbage/butterflycollector.html
Sorry again for my rusty english (this is what happens if you speak to russian and chinese people in english all the time ... hope it was not too bad!)
Thank you in advance!
Stefan
Top answer
[nq:1]Hello Newsgroup! Well ... as I am already a bit embarresed about me not knowing "Iron ButterflY" (bought a CD ...
- [nq:1]Hello Newsgroup!
- Well ...
- as I am already a bit embarresed about me not knowing "Iron ButterflY" (bought a CD ...
- [/nq] Usually when 'king' (or queen) is used in a phrase like this it means that the person is the best at whatever it is, so in this case, the best butterfly collector.
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6 Answers
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[nq:1]Hello Newsgroup! Well ... as I am already a bit embarresed about me not knowing "Iron ButterflY" (bought a CD ... phrase that might be used by a subculture, and it might mean something I don't want to be connected with.[/nq]
Usually when 'king' (or queen) is used in a phrase like this it means that the person is the best at whatever it is, so in this case, the best butterfly collector.
Usually when 'king' (or queen) is used in a phrase like this it means that the person is the best at whatever it is, so in this case, the best butterfly collector.
00
[nq:2]Hello Newsgroup! Well ... as I am already a bit ... might mean something I don't want to be connected with.[/nq]
[nq:1]Usually when 'king' (or queen) is used in a phrase like this it means that the person is the best at whatever it is, so in this case, thebest butterfly collector.[/nq]
I thnk he is asking if "butterfly collector" has any slang meaning that might be derogatory or obsc
[nq:1]Usually when 'king' (or queen) is used in a phrase like this it means that the person is the best at whatever it is, so in this case, thebest butterfly collector.[/nq]
I thnk he is asking if "butterfly collector" has any slang meaning that might be derogatory or obsc
00
[nq:1]"Iron fear[/nq]
I agree with the first part of your comment.
However, my reading of the song is that "butterfly collecting" is not necessarily frivolous or casual. The "butterfly collector" is a woman who treats men as objects to be collected. She entices and enthrals them not only sexually but also mentally:
"There's tarts and whores but you're much more
You're a different k
I agree with the first part of your comment.
However, my reading of the song is that "butterfly collecting" is not necessarily frivolous or casual. The "butterfly collector" is a woman who treats men as objects to be collected. She entices and enthrals them not only sexually but also mentally:
"There's tarts and whores but you're much more
You're a different k
00
[nq:2]I thnk he is asking if "butterfly collector" has any ... just be using it as a phrase meaning frivolous pursuit.[/nq]
[nq:1]I agree with the first part of your comment. However, my reading of the song is that "butterfly collecting" is ... but also mentally: "There's tarts and whores but you're much more You're a different kind 'cause you want their minds"[/nq]
A collector of souls: G
[nq:1]I agree with the first part of your comment. However, my reading of the song is that "butterfly collecting" is ... but also mentally: "There's tarts and whores but you're much more You're a different kind 'cause you want their minds"[/nq]
A collector of souls: G
00
[nq:2]I agree with the first part of your comment. However, ... more You're a different kind 'cause you want their minds"[/nq]
[nq:1]A collector of souls: Greek psyche, butterfly?[/nq]
I suspect that interpretation might come as news to the lyricist. :-)
Having re-read the song I suggest that what the writer had in mind was a butterfly collection in a display cabinet, with the but
[nq:1]A collector of souls: Greek psyche, butterfly?[/nq]
I suspect that interpretation might come as news to the lyricist. :-)
Having re-read the song I suggest that what the writer had in mind was a butterfly collection in a display cabinet, with the but
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Hi!
Thanx to everybody for the help! I think I don't get into problems by using phrases and quotations of the song on my homepage then! Again: Thanx to everybody for helping!
Stefan
Thanx to everybody for the help! I think I don't get into problems by using phrases and quotations of the song on my homepage then! Again: Thanx to everybody for helping!
Stefan
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