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Ant_222 Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Need help interpreting a phrase
Hello, all
Here's a quotation from Stevenson's «The Body-Snatcher»: «We called him the Doctor, for he was supposed to have some special knowledge of medicine, and had been known, upon a pinch, to set a fracture or reduce a dislocation...»
My question about this sentence is not grammar-related, as you might have expected, — but is about semantics for I cannot understand the last phrase — «to set a fracture or reduce a dislocation». Could you please explain to me its meaning?
Thanks in advance,
Anton
Here's a quotation from Stevenson's «The Body-Snatcher»: «We called him the Doctor, for he was supposed to have some special knowledge of medicine, and had been known, upon a pinch, to set a fracture or reduce a dislocation...»
My question about this sentence is not grammar-related, as you might have expected, — but is about semantics for I cannot understand the last phrase — «to set a fracture or reduce a dislocation». Could you please explain to me its meaning?
Thanks in advance,
Anton
Top answer
Hi Ant Basically, you can "set a broken/fractured bone", and you can "reduce a dislocation". This sort of use of "set" is pretty common, but I'd say the collocation "reduce a dislocation" is more limited to medical lingo. com/reference/dictionary/entry/reduce
- Hi Ant Basically, you can "set a broken/fractured bone", and you can "reduce a dislocation".
- This sort of use of "set" is pretty common, but I'd say the collocation "reduce a dislocation" is more limited to medical lingo.
- com/reference/dictionary/entry/reduce
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4 Answers
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Hi Ant
Basically, you can "set a broken/fractured bone", and you can "reduce a dislocation".
This sort of use of "set" is pretty common, but I'd say the collocation "reduce a dislocation" is more limited to medical lingo.
Dictionary definitions:
Basically, you can "set a broken/fractured bone", and you can "reduce a dislocation".
This sort of use of "set" is pretty common, but I'd say the collocation "reduce a dislocation" is more limited to medical lingo.
Dictionary definitions:
00
Thanks, Yankee.
Is it right that "upon a pinch" means "when it's desperately needed"?
Anton
Is it right that "upon a pinch" means "when it's desperately needed"?
Anton
00
I don't know the expression "upon a pinch", but I would guess it means the same thing as "in a pinch". If you had included the end of the sentence, it might have been clearer.
I might describe the expression "in a pinch" to be a situation in which a substitute for something must be used. And, yes, generally such a substitute would only be used because it there is an immediate need, but t
I might describe the expression "in a pinch" to be a situation in which a substitute for something must be used. And, yes, generally such a substitute would only be used because it there is an immediate need, but t
00
Hello, Yankee
I somehow managed to find the expression "upon a pinch" here:
http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/Lo/Long+Odds.html
where it is mentioned among the synonyms for "difficultly". Other synonyms include "at a pinch" and such colorful expressions
I somehow managed to find the expression "upon a pinch" here:
http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/Lo/Long+Odds.html
where it is mentioned among the synonyms for "difficultly". Other synonyms include "at a pinch" and such colorful expressions
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