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Billsun Posted 20 years ago
Vocabulary

What mean for this phase:"if he was caught young"

Hi,

There is one sentence related with Dr. Johnson:"Once he commented on a distinguished nobleman who had been born in Scotsland but educated in England, saying that much could be made of a Scotsman--if he was caught young".

I don't know what meaning on "could be made of a Scotsman--if he was caught young".

1. "be made of something" should point to the thing is consisted with something, but why say the thing be made of by a Scotsman?

2. what means "if he was caught young" ?

thanks
  

Top answer

To make something of a person means to educate, train or otherwise influence them into being good, strong, intelligent, important people. Caught young is a bit of a joke as the attitude then was that Scots people were rather on the wild uncivilised side!

— Nona the brit

  • To make something of a person means to educate, train or otherwise influence them into being good, strong, intelligent, important people.
  • Caught young is a bit of a joke as the attitude then was that Scots people were rather on the wild uncivilised side!
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4 Answers
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To make something of a person means to educate, train or otherwise influence them into being good, strong, intelligent, important people.

Caught young is a bit of a joke as the attitude then was that Scots people were rather on the wild uncivilised side!
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Dr Johnson does not think much of the normal education of Scotsmen.

#1-- be made of someone = improve someone's abilities/talents/intellect
#2-- if he was caught young = if he was supervised (started in a good education, etc) from early in his life



(OK!-- I give up, Nona-- you've beaten me to two posts tonight. I'm going back to bed.-- MM)
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