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Zuotengdazuo Posted 10 years ago
Vocabulary

"See if you don't" meaning in this context?

This is an excerpt from The Shining

Jack and Wendy are husband and wife. Jack wants to show Wendy something to give her a surprise.
"What is it?" Windy asked him as they walked up from the parking lot, hand in hand.
"Forgot," Jack said.
"Oh, you"ll get yours," she said, and elbowed him. "see if you don't."
"I was hoping I'd get it tonight," he remarked, and she laughed.
I don't understand what"you'll get yours" and "see if you don't" mean here. Could you help me interpret them?
Thank you.
  

Top answer

"You'll get yours" means "You'll receive your X" where X represents something understood from the context, in this case apparently a surprise. When he says "I was hoping I'd get it tonight", it seems he may be referring to a sexual favour. "See if you don't" is a way of emphasising that the previous statement will be fulfilled.

— GPY

  • "You'll get yours" means "You'll receive your X" where X represents something understood from the context, in this case apparently a surprise.
  • When he says "I was hoping I'd get it tonight", it seems he may be referring to a sexual favour.
  • "See if you don't" is a way of emphasising that the previous statement will be fulfilled.
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6 Answers
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"You'll get yours" means "You'll receive your X" where X represents something understood from the context, in this case apparently a surprise. When he says "I was hoping I'd get it tonight", it seems he may be referring to a sexual favour.

"See if you don't" is a way of emphasising that the previous statement will be fulfilled.
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Thank you. But I still have one question. What content is it that follows "see if you don't"? I mean "don't do what"?
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zuotengdazuo I mean "don't do what"?
don't get yours
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I see. Thank you. But why use negative sentence when it wants to convey an affirmative meaning?
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zuotengdazuoI see. Thank you. But why use negative sentence when it wants to convey an affirmative meaning?
It is an idiomatic expression, and it is not obvious even to native speakers how the literal meaning of the words creates the idiomatic meaning. The underlying idea may be that "you don't" would be a surprising outcome. But, as I say, it is not obvious.
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