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T509 Posted 19 years ago
Vocabulary

homeopathic

0Hi, this is from a novel written by O' Henry.02br
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00I have difficulty understanding the line italic.02br
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00Any suggestion? Thanks in advance.02br
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01font00"I wouldn't have a man," declared Mrs. Cassidy, "that didn't beat me up at least once a week. Shows he thinks something of you. Say! 01i00but that last dose Jack gave me wasn't no homeopathic one.02i02font0-
  

Top answer

0 My guess is that, because homeopathy is meant to treat sickness using very tiny amounts of something, Mrs Cassidy is actually saying here that Jack hit her a lot last time he beat her up. 0-

— Annvan

  • 0 My guess is that, because homeopathy is meant to treat sickness using very tiny amounts of something, Mrs Cassidy is actually saying here that Jack hit her a lot last time he beat her up.
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6 Answers
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0 My guess is that, because homeopathy is meant to treat sickness using very tiny amounts of something, Mrs Cassidy is actually saying here that Jack hit her a lot last time he beat her up. 0-
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0OIC! Thank you for the help.02br
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00I guess you are right considering other contexts in the novel.02br
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00But is that a usual expression in daily use these days?02br
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00Has anyone read or heard of the phrase used?0-
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0 I don't think it's a usual expression, at least not in British English. I've never heard it before. 0-
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0 No it's not an idiom or anything, but it was a very witty thing to say. 0-
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0 as the OP points out the writer is making a joke using medical terms .02br
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00if he had only beaten her up a little he would have given her a 'homeopathic' does of medicine.02br
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00the medicine being a beating,02br
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00since he gave her a heavy beating it was no longer homeopathic.0-
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0Hi,02br
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01font00But is that a usual expression in daily use these days?02font02br
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00No-one seems to have mentioned that humorous remarks about men beating women are not at all appropriate today.02br
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00Best wishes, Clive0-
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