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NL888 Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
"deferred to"?
1) Does "deferred to" mean "obediently followed (the advice of her male questioner)"?
2) Does "might be better poised to answer that" mean "might be better if you take time (calm yourself enough) to answer that"?
Context:
Lewinsky fielded this question in 2001, while filming the town hall–style HBO documentary Monica in Black and White. Her participation, she writes, was an attempt to “shift the focus” away from rehashing the salacious details of her sexual relationship with President Clinton and on to “meaningful issues” like “the balance of power and gender inequality in politics and media.” Attendees had other ideas. Having your identity reduced to a sex act feels “hurtful and insulting,” Lewinsky replied at the time. “I don’t actually know why this whole story became about oral sex. … The fact that it did is maybe a result of a male-dominated society.” As for why Americans became obsessed with Lewinsky’s sexuality in 1998, Lewinsky deferred to her male questioner. “You might be better poised to answer that,” she said.
MOre:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2014/05/08/monica_lewinsky_in_vanity_fair_not_a_national_conversation_starter.html
2) Does "might be better poised to answer that" mean "might be better if you take time (calm yourself enough) to answer that"?
Context:
Lewinsky fielded this question in 2001, while filming the town hall–style HBO documentary Monica in Black and White. Her participation, she writes, was an attempt to “shift the focus” away from rehashing the salacious details of her sexual relationship with President Clinton and on to “meaningful issues” like “the balance of power and gender inequality in politics and media.” Attendees had other ideas. Having your identity reduced to a sex act feels “hurtful and insulting,” Lewinsky replied at the time. “I don’t actually know why this whole story became about oral sex. … The fact that it did is maybe a result of a male-dominated society.” As for why Americans became obsessed with Lewinsky’s sexuality in 1998, Lewinsky deferred to her male questioner. “You might be better poised to answer that,” she said.
MOre:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2014/05/08/monica_lewinsky_in_vanity_fair_not_a_national_conversation_starter.html
Top answer
NL888 1) Does "deferred to" mean "obediently followed (the advice of her male questioner)"? No, it just means she let the other person speak first. NL888 2) Does "might be better poised to answer that" mean "might be better if you take time (calm yourself enough) to answer that"?
- NL888 1) Does "deferred to" mean "obediently followed (the advice of her male questioner)"?
- No, it just means she let the other person speak first.
- NL888 2) Does "might be better poised to answer that" mean "might be better if you take time (calm yourself enough) to answer that"?
- ,had more knowledge or experience) to answer that.
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1 Answers
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NL8881) Does "deferred to" mean "obediently followed (the advice of her male questioner)"?No, it just means she let the other person speak first.
NL8882) Does "might be better poised to answer that" mean "might be better if you take time (calm yourself enough) to answer that"?No, it means that that person was in a better p
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