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Newguest Posted 17 years ago
Vocabulary

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Hi

We had been in the studio, slugging it out over the record for months. I think we all needed a bit of fresh air. So we went to Miami and had a very good time. We went out. We met a lot of very serious people and some very superficial people and enjoyed both. We were introduced to the art of smoking cigars in a sort of late-night Mafia place, none of your spit 'n' sawdust here, this was shag-pile carpet all the way. We came, we saw, we conquered - it is all in the lyric of the song "Miami". Our eyes were wide open ... some of the time!

1. I understand that "enjoyed both" means they liked both the serious and the superficial people they met?

2. "late-night Mafia place" - does it mean that that place looked like it belonged to Mafia?

3. "spit 'n' sawdust" - I understand that it was a very elegant place?

4. "shag-pile carpet" - I suppose there was an elegant carpet on the floor, right?

5. "some of the time" - I think it means that probably sometimes they were sober and sometimes drunk and their eyes weren't open all the time?

Thanks
  

Top answer

Newguest 1. I understand that "enjoyed both" means they liked both the serious and the superficial people they met? Yes.

  • Newguest 1.
  • I understand that "enjoyed both" means they liked both the serious and the superficial people they met?
  • Yes.
  • 2.
  • "late-night Mafia place" - does it mean that that place looked like it belonged to Mafia?
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3 Answers
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Newguest1. I understand that "enjoyed both" means they liked both the serious and the superficial people they met? Yes.

2. "late-night Mafia place" - does it mean that that place looked like it belonged to Mafia? I think it's ambiguous as to whether they owned it, or controlled
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Hi

Ok, so he says something like: We were watchful of what was going on around us, but sometimes we just didn't pay attention to anything.

cheers
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Well, I wouldn't put it exactly that way.

"To be watchful" is to be wary, or taking care not to be victimized in some way.
"To have ones eyes open" is to be a savy observer, or even a savy and willing participant, with full understanding that what you are seeing or doing may be wrong.
Let's say the Mafia place maintains an appearance of propriety (for the sake of appearances and

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