0
Doc888 Posted 15 years ago
Grammar
The definition of the word "level"
I wonder the definition of the word "level." What does the first "level" mean in the context below?
Context:
Grandpa was a carpenter
He built houses stores and banks
Chain smoked Camel cigarettes
And hammered nails in planks
He was level on the level
And shaved even every door
And voted for Eisenhower
'Cause Lincoln won the war.
Context:
Grandpa was a carpenter
He built houses stores and banks
Chain smoked Camel cigarettes
And hammered nails in planks
He was level on the level
And shaved even every door
And voted for Eisenhower
'Cause Lincoln won the war.
Top answer
This is a poem, so you can't pin it down exactly. I remember a song from the 20's with the last line: A qu-eer sort of devil, but dead on the level was my gal Sal. For a carpenter to say that a structural beam is dead on the level means that the beam is perfectly/exactly horizontal .
- This is a poem, so you can't pin it down exactly.
- I remember a song from the 20's with the last line: A qu-eer sort of devil, but dead on the level was my gal Sal.
- For a carpenter to say that a structural beam is dead on the level means that the beam is perfectly/exactly horizontal .
- To use the expression figuratively to describe a person is to say that the person is impeccably honest.
- He was level on the level And shaved even every door He performed each task to perfection.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
6 Answers
0
This is a poem, so you can't pin it down exactly. 
I remember a song from the 20's with the last line:
A qu-e
I remember a song from the 20's with the last line:
A qu-e
00
0
Doc888What does the first "level" mean in the context below?Definition 2d under "3 level (adjective)". http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/level
...
He was level on the level
I assume you already know what the second "level"
00
CalifJimDefinition 2d under "3 level (adjective)".Hi, CJ,
I'm trying to follow your instructions here.
Under "3 level (adjective)" Definition 2nd is:
2
a : even or unvarying in height
00
AvangiI'm trying to follow your instructions here.Definition 2d. (Not 2a, 2b, or 2c.) (Not 2nd definition.)
Under "3 level (adjective)" Definition 2nd is:
He was level (= steady, unwavering, calm) on (=when using) the level.
CJ
00
Related Questions