An interesting sentence

Question

Dear all,I may be too lazy to find out the answer by myself, but I really need your advice on this sentence. This paragraph is excerpted from "The Red-headed League" by Sherlock Holmes, which is mainly about his description of a newly met person.Your right hand is a size larger than your left. The muscles are more developed from hard work. The fish tattooed just above your wrist could only have been done in China. And, what else can be indicated by that right cuff so shiny for five inches, and the left one with the smooth patch near the elbow where you rest it upon the desk?What I got confused with is the last sentence: "What else .. the left one with the smooth patch near the elbow where you rest it upon the desk?"I am not sure what "where" and " it" are referred to in this sentence. Would you be kind enough to help with that? Thanks in advance. Take care,Gloria

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]Dear all, I may be too lazy to find out the answer by myself, but I really need your advice ... referred to in this sentence. Would you be kind enough to help with that? Thanks in advance. Take care, Gloria[/nq]
This part of the clause,
*the left one with the
smooth patch near the elbow where you rest it upon the desk?*

explains why the left hand is weaker than the right, at least by Doyle's medical reasoning. The sleeve on the left elbow has been worn thin by the character resting *it* (the elbow in the sleeve) on the desk.

As to why the tattoo had to be done in China, well, that would no longer necessarily hold water in 21st century mysteries, unless there was credible forensic proof.
You really need to touch base with a fluent English speaker, live and in person. You'll never really learn this language without that type of coaching, and it seems less than credulous to me that you couldn't tap this resource with a little effort on your part.
(Sighing and not signing this post...)

Usenet · Answer

You'll never really learn this language without that type of
[nq:1]coaching, and it seems less than credulous to me that you couldn't tap this resource with a little effort on your part.[/nq]
Am I just credulous, or should that be "less than credible"? Or even "incredible"?
Chris R

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Am I just credulous, or should that be "less than credible"? Or even "incredible"?[/nq]
Yes, credulous is what gullible people are. It's very funny, isn't it? Snooty advice and une telle connerie all in the same sentence. Mind you, plenty of people confuse "credulous" and "credible" chez les rosbifs so maybe we shouldn't be too severe, but posts conveying advice and condescension in equal measure should be squeaky-clean themselves... (I always make sure mine are, except when I forget.)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Dear all, I may be too lazy to find out the answer by myself, but I really need your advice ... are referred to in this sentence. Would you be kind enough to help with that? Thanks in advance. Take care,[/nq]
Read it as: "and the left one with smooth patch near the elbow (that is located) where you rest (your arm encased in the coat jacket) upon the desk."
Holmes is noting that wear marks on the coat jacket's arms indicate that the wearer assumes the same work position very frequently. It could be shirt, and not a coat jacket, but that doesn't change things.

Tony Cooper
Orlando, FL

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]You really need to touch base with a fluent English speaker, live and in person. You'll never really learn this ... it seems less than credulous to me that you couldn't tap this resource with a little effort on your part.[/nq]
Less than credulous? That's the kind of usage that Gloria would write in to ask for help in understanding. Responders would re-write the sentence because the usage is less than acceptable.

Tony Cooper
Orlando, FL

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]You really need to touch base with a fluent English ... tap this resource with a little effort on your part.[/nq]
[nq:1]Less than credulous? That's the kind of usage that Gloria would write in to ask for help in understanding. Responders would re-write the sentence because the usage is less than acceptable. Tony Cooper Orlando, FL[/nq]
Be that as it may, I am right in the advice I am giving her, and being upbraided by other posters isn't going to change the fact that in the long run, the little self-indulgent Twinkee is only hurting herself.

As to my use of credulous, I don't see a problem in conveying the meaning that I can't believe the *** can't get off her *** and find herself a flesh and blood tutor, unless she is from the North and is escaping the notice of the thought police through an illegal portal.

Everyone needs help Tony, but I can tell from the frequency of her posts that she doesn't care in the least about improving her skills. If she did, her conceptual problems would upgrade over time. They don't.

I don't throw change to pan handlers. I may buy them food if hunger was a legitimate issue, but I don't like getting played on a daily basis.

I don't know about you bro, but I subscribe to AEU pretty much for the fun of it. Non-native speakers being dependent on an ng like this?

That is the incredible thing.
J

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]As to my use of credulous, I don't see a problem in conveying the meaning that I can't believe the ... tutor, unless she is from the North and is escaping the notice of the thought police through an illegal portal.[/nq]
You wrote "credulous" where you should have written something else, probably "credible", while seated upon your high horse, thus making yourself ridiculous. Stop digging.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Be that as it may, I am right in the advice I am giving her, and being upbraided by other posters isn't going to change the fact that in the long run, the little self-indulgent Twinkee is only hurting herself.[/nq]
You are a bit self-indulgent, yourself.
[nq:1]Everyone needs help Tony, but I can tell from the frequency of her posts that she doesn't care in the least about improving her skills. If she did, her conceptual problems would upgrade over time. They don't.[/nq]
Let's see an objective measure of this, please.
[nq:1]I don't throw change to pan handlers. I may buy them food if hunger was a legitimate issue, but I don't like getting played on a daily basis.[/nq]
You get played when you let yourself be played. (You ask for it.) Please give Gloria the credit for the honesty that you don't display on your own hook.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Be that as it may, I am right in the advice I am giving her, and being upbraided by other ... care in the least about improving her skills. If she did, her conceptual problems would upgrade over time. They don't.[/nq]
You are, presumably, a native hatched American. Yet, you continually struggle with using the right word. Evidently, you don't understand the meaning of some of the words you use. Your conceptual understanding has not upgraded over time, but you have the effrontery to criticize a non-native American who is attempting to understand English.
As evidence that your conceptual understanding has not improved, just look at the above. You have written that her "conceptual problems would upgrade" where you meant "conceptual knowledge" or "conceptual understanding". This following the error of use of "credulous".

Tony Cooper
Orlando, FL

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Be that[/nq]
"That" being Joanne's erroneous use of "credulous" where "credible" was called for.
[nq:1]as it may, I am right in the advice I am giving her,[/nq]
And yet no one agrees with you, and several people have posted for the express purpose of disagreeing with you.
[nq:1]and being upbraided by other posters[/nq]
Who's being upbraided? The obvious meaning is that Gloria is the one being upbraided, but you seem to be talking about upbraiding directed at you.
[nq:1]isn't going to change the fact that in the long run, the little self-indulgent Twinkee is only hurting herself.[/nq]
I think she is hurting herself only if she is foolish enough to take you seriously. Even a vendetta against someone who deserves it tends to be a waste of time (and I speak as one of Usenet's great time-wasters), but to continue such a campaign against someone who otherwise elicits universal respect is beyond futile and into self-destructive. You're the one being hurt. Your reputation suffers, and people go out fo their way to upbraid you as I am doing right now.

Get a life, Joanne. If you can't afford to buy one, rent one.

An aside to Gloria try posting your inquiries to alt.usage.english, a different group, and dropping this one. You'll probably get equally useful responses, and you'll no longer have to put up with Joanne.

Bob Lieblich
Strong language for strong situations

An interesting sentence

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