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Newguest Posted 16 years ago
Vocabulary
Hard back
Hi
I have been a published writer since 1978. Or is it "author"? Paperback writer, as the Beatles said. Hardback author? One thing's for sure: I certainly have developed a hard back. I have suffered kicks and smiled at kindnesses just like any other brother or sister on our spinning home.
--- I understand that in the 2nd sentence the writer wonders whether he/she shouldn't call himself/herself an author rather than a writer, is that right?
--- How should I understand "developed a hard back"?
Thanks
I have been a published writer since 1978. Or is it "author"? Paperback writer, as the Beatles said. Hardback author? One thing's for sure: I certainly have developed a hard back. I have suffered kicks and smiled at kindnesses just like any other brother or sister on our spinning home.
--- I understand that in the 2nd sentence the writer wonders whether he/she shouldn't call himself/herself an author rather than a writer, is that right?
--- How should I understand "developed a hard back"?
Thanks
Top answer
This sounds like the writer is trying to be clever and he's losing his audience in the process. I don't really get what he's trying to say. You can say published writer or published author.
- This sounds like the writer is trying to be clever and he's losing his audience in the process.
- I don't really get what he's trying to say.
- You can say published writer or published author.
- I think you'll hear the latter more frequently.
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7 Answers
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This sounds like the writer is trying to be clever and he's losing his audience in the process. I don't really get what he's trying to say.
You can say published writer or published author. I think you'll hear the latter more frequently.
You can say published writer or published author. I think you'll hear the latter more frequently.
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Hi
I think "hardback" and "hard back" is a wordplay.
He says that maybe he is not a paperback writer, but a hardback author. He follows that in his life he suffered kicks (I understand he was having a hard time), so in the process he became callous (hard back).
That's my understanding. What do you think?
I think "hardback" and "hard back" is a wordplay.
He says that maybe he is not a paperback writer, but a hardback author. He follows that in his life he suffered kicks (I understand he was having a hard time), so in the process he became callous (hard back).
That's my understanding. What do you think?
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NewguestHe follows that in his life he suffered kicks (I understand he was having a hard time), so in the process he became callous (hard back).That's how I interpreted it too, but for me the wordplay falls flat because I have never heard this expression "hard back".
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I think you're probably right, but although we talk about developing "thick skin" there is no idiom I'm familiar with that uses "hard back." Hence my comment about trying to be too clever.
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If you don't get a simple wordplay you shouldn't be a translator in the first place. Are you planning to ask about every single phrase from the book while translating it?
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AnonymousIf you don't get a simple wordplay you shouldn't be a translator in the first place. Are you planning to ask about every single phrase from the book while translating it?The problem with your post, Anon, is that two native speakers didn't "get it" either, since the word play doesn't play on a standard idiom or a know expression.
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