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#152606 12/24/05 02:27 PM
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"to wine and dine" is to court someone's affection, interest, patronage, wallet, etc., by showing them a really good time, specifically, by buying them fantastic dinners and excellent wine.

"to whine" to is complain in an annoying, childlike way.

"to whine and dine" sounds counterproductive, or at least like a less than perfect evening out.

Last edited by inselpeter; 12/24/05 02:28 PM.
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Woouuu, it took you four minutes to answer since I posted. I'm genuinely scared, heh. Thanks for making it clear. I have another question. Questions as a matter of fact.

This is from the same article:

"Everyone knows that most blind dates are far from out-of-sight. Why would you want to suffer one in public? Especially as booby-prize Sharon has already reduced one contestant to tears."

By far from out-of-sight, it sounds like they mean "terrible", or "something you wouldn't like to witness"... but I've never heard this phrase before, not that I remember anyway. Anyone?

By booby-prize, do they mock that the guys are only in it for her boobs? or does the article calls her "stupid", as the exact definition of "booby" indicates?

Last edited by Logwood; 12/24/05 03:31 PM.
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"out-of-sight" means great, very cool, so yes, "far from o-o-s" would mean terrible. or at least lousy.

booby-prize in this case means she's not a great catch, so yes, stupid.


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"out of sight" ("outta sight") is a colloquialism that was current in the late 60s and early 70s (a period colloquially known as the 60s). It may be older, I don't know, nor do I know its origin. It means "great," "fantastic." If you really liked a woman, you might say "that chick's outta sight." Or, if a news item said Nixon got a pie in his face, you might just exclaim, "Outta sight!"

Something would be less than out of sight if it was, well, less than out of sight.

A "booby prize" is the prize you get if, instead of coming in first, you come in last. I guess because you're the "boob;" though I've never heard the word specifically used in that way, it could be -- a "boob" is, essentially, a loser.

The meaning you suggest, that the male party to the date is a boob, would be a double entendre (as would the meaning that Mr. Sharon is a boob). I don't read it that way though. To say that Sharon is the booby prize though, is an insult to him. [disclaimer: I add the last sentence only for the purpose of a complete answer and clarity]

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Out-of-sight

This sentence is playing with double meanings. In the late 1960's people were using out-of-sight as a slang phrase to mean wonderful, gobsmacking, just outstanding!, while the literal meaning is out of public view. To preface out-of-sight with "far from" would indicate that the opposite was true in both meanings of the word.

A booby prize is generally a prize for the person that failed the best at whatever the first prize was being given for.

Edit Geez, Ip, you must have been posting while I was still composing.

Main Entry: 1boo·by
Pronunciation: 'bü-bE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural boobies
Etymology: modification of Spanish bobo, from Latin balbus stammering, probably of imitative origin
1 : an awkward foolish person : DOPE
2 : any of several tropical seabirds (family Sulidae, especially genus Sula)

from Merriam-Webster Online

A joke prize, usually given in recogition of a terrible performance or a last-place finish. Booby prizes are sometimes coveted as an object of pride and humor.
en.

wikipedia.org/wiki/Booby_prize

Last edited by consuelo; 12/24/05 04:10 PM.
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somebody got me on ignore?


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Logwood Offline OP
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(gobsmacking? never heard that before. gobsmacking! I think I'll do some etymology work today...)

etaoin, methinks they simply wanted to elaborate. Real thanks for all the input! I'm all translated-out for today but will pick it up tomorrow.

Athough I noticed there are still two sentences I did not translate:

1. the total tube heat transfer surface area must be calculated. (not sure what sort of "tube" they mean.)
2. When you are a celebrity, gossip goes with the territory. (--I understand what it means, but having hard time putting it to words. How would you change the last part if you could?)

Last edited by Logwood; 12/24/05 05:39 PM.
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1. the total tube heat transfer surface area must be calculated. (not sure what sort of "tube" they mean.)

The total heat-transfer surface area of the tube must be calculated.

2. When you are a celebrity, gossip goes with the territory.

As a celebrity, being the focus of gossip is part of the job.

#152614 12/24/05 07:06 PM
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The beat generation of the fifties found it cool for anything to be beyond the norm and "far Out" became de rigueur.

Feeling kinship with the beatniks but praticing one-upmanship to far out heights, the Hippies of the sixties code-worded "out-of-sight".

The three decades that followed produced few exciting new hip words because the people living within them were mostly dull.

Until resently.

"Over-the-top" isn't exactly hip, but hey, "any port in the storm" is def for a generation of button-down robots.

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1) This is another shining example of technical writing.
not sure what sort of "tube" they mean This could be a type of pipe (flexible or not) or a transistor type tube. Context of the whole article should help you translate the word meaningfully.

No, Eta, I don't have you on ignore. I was writing my post when both you and IP posted. Since insel's post was long enough to take up the window space, I didn't see yours until much later.

2) Any person who is well known should expect that people will talk about them and if they don't know the truth, they'll make it up.

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