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Angliholic Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

scrunches his eyeball to the slot

The slot is eye-high. Quietly, with his finger, he pushes in the swinging brass flap. He takes off his helmet and scrunches his eyeball to the slot and strains to see the letter on the floor.

Hi,
The above is from "Loser" by Jerry Spinelli. Is it right to render "scrunches his eyeball to the slot" as "strains his eyeball hard to the slot?" Thanks,
  

Top answer

Angliholic Is it right to render "scrunches his eyeball to the slot" as "strains his eyeball hard to the slot? No, neither is terribly good, but there is no point in rendering an awkward expression to a more awkward one. Notice that you would then have two 'strain's in your sentence.

— Mister Micawber

  • Angliholic Is it right to render "scrunches his eyeball to the slot" as "strains his eyeball hard to the slot?
  • No, neither is terribly good, but there is no point in rendering an awkward expression to a more awkward one.
  • Notice that you would then have two 'strain's in your sentence.
  • Very poor style.
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3 Answers
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Angliholic Is it right to render "scrunches his eyeball to the slot" as "strains his eyeball hard to the slot?
No, neither is terribly good, but there is no point in rendering an awkward expression to a more awkward one. Notice that you would then have two 'strain's in your sentence. Very poor style.
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Thanks, Mister Micawber and how have you been?
But what does "scrunches" in the context mean? "presses hard?"
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AngliholicBut what does "scrunches" in the context mean?
The idea is that he presses his eye to the narrow opening by squinting. 'Hard' is inaccurate.
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