Meaning of "a pact sworn in gymnasium English"?
Hello everyone. I am reading a novel, and I came across this expression. Could you please let me know its meaning?
“You are a friend of Pooh Pasternak’s?” So they knew his old nickname as well. “Friends of Pooh’s are always welcome here.” Handshake, arm around my shoulder, the whole chummy locker-room routine. “He was a good friend of my father’s,” I corrected. “Sort of looks after things.”
“The Swiss connection,” joked Hans, making it all sound like a pact sworn in gymnasium English by abandoned boys in a postwar spy novel.
- André Aciman, Eight White Nights, First Night
This is a novel published in the United States of America in 2010. This novel is narrated by the nameless male protagonist who meets Clara at a Christmas party in Manhattan. Now the host of the party, Hans, is welcoming the protagonist, after knowing that the protagonist is the friend of Pooh, who is also the friend of Hans.
In this part, I wonder what the underlined expression means.
I vaguely guess that "gymnasium English" might be "basic, not-fluent English", but I am not sure what pact is being sworn in gymnasium English...
Thank you very much for your help.
Top answer
Curious Reader gymnasium English The phrase refers to the earlier text: the whole chummy locker-room routine. It's like when men are in the changing room at the gym (no women are around) and speak to speak other in informal, slangy, machismo, braggadocio manly language.
- Curious Reader gymnasium English The phrase refers to the earlier text: the whole chummy locker-room routine.
- It's like when men are in the changing room at the gym (no women are around) and speak to speak other in informal, slangy, machismo, braggadocio manly language.
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Curious Readergymnasium English
The phrase refers to the earlier text:
the whole chummy locker-room routine.
It's like when men are in the changing room at the gym (no women are around) and speak to speak other in informal, slangy, machismo, braggadocio manly language.
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