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Raen Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
"idiot-savant"
What does it mean here:
"........, or to hear Henry Ford laconically idiot-savant these about the coming industrial age."
I tried to look up "savant" without success except one found in Cambridge Klet Compact which gives confusing answers (involving some latin words I think) under that entry.
And also what does "these" do in the sentence? what's its syntatical function/part of speech here? Does it mean "this and that"? Looking forwards to a reply. Thanks.
Raen
"........, or to hear Henry Ford laconically idiot-savant these about the coming industrial age."
I tried to look up "savant" without success except one found in Cambridge Klet Compact which gives confusing answers (involving some latin words I think) under that entry.
And also what does "these" do in the sentence? what's its syntatical function/part of speech here? Does it mean "this and that"? Looking forwards to a reply. Thanks.
Raen
Top answer
The term "idiot-savant" is a no-longer-PC term for someone with severe mental deficiencies coupled with extrordinary, specific mental abilities. Think of Dustin Hoffman's character in Rain Main . I've never heard it used as a verb, as it seems to be used here.
- The term "idiot-savant" is a no-longer-PC term for someone with severe mental deficiencies coupled with extrordinary, specific mental abilities.
- Think of Dustin Hoffman's character in Rain Main .
- I've never heard it used as a verb, as it seems to be used here.
- Without context, I have no idea what "these" stand for, but it's whatever ideas Ford had been talking about in the passage that came before this one.
- I would guess, without context, that the author did not hold Mr.
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2 Answers
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The term "idiot-savant" is a no-longer-PC term for someone with severe mental deficiencies coupled with extrordinary, specific mental abilities. Think of Dustin Hoffman's character in Rain Main. I've never heard it used as a verb, as it seems to be used here.
Without context, I have no idea what "these" stand for, but it's whatever ideas Ford had been talking about in the passage
Without context, I have no idea what "these" stand for, but it's whatever ideas Ford had been talking about in the passage
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Thank you so much Grammar Geek. So the term "idiot-savant" is used as a verb here, otherwise its normal use is a "noun". Here is the context, and if you would be kind enough to help point out what "these" refers to, I'd appreciate it.
"Over in a corner of the shop is the apartment he carved out of the vast cavern of the old factory, and sketched on his door is an arrow pointing down to th
"Over in a corner of the shop is the apartment he carved out of the vast cavern of the old factory, and sketched on his door is an arrow pointing down to th
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