What are the connotations behind partridges?
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I was reading F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Bernice Bobs her Hair" and noticed this line.
But, after all, this critical circle is not close enough to the stage
to see the actors' faces and catch the subtler byplay. It can only
frown and lean, ask questions and make satisfactory deductions from
its set of postulates, such as the one which states that every young
man with a large income leads the life of a hunted partridge.
Somehow I feel that had Fitzgerald replaced "partridge" with "pidgeon" or "sparrow," the impact of the sentence would have been lost. So title.
meaning-in-context
asked 25 mins ago
Tomislav Ostojich
1065
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I was reading F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Bernice Bobs her Hair" and noticed this line.
But, after all, this critical circle is not close enough to the stage
to see the actors' faces and catch the subtler byplay. It can only
frown and lean, ask questions and make satisfactory deductions from
its set of postulates, such as the one which states that every young
man with a large income leads the life of a hunted partridge.
Somehow I feel that had Fitzgerald replaced "partridge" with "pidgeon" or "sparrow," the impact of the sentence would have been lost. So title.
meaning-in-context
asked 25 mins ago
Tomislav Ostojich
1065
1
I don't think the meaning would be lost. Young men with money are prime eligible bachelors, and young women and their families, etc hunt these affluent young men down as potential husbands, like hunters and fowl. Which fowl is probably irrelevant. But partridges are game fowl, and sparrows are not. I guess you have to flush partridges out of their hiding places in the bushes, whereas pigeons etc are usually on the wing. So there's more of a sense of stalking something? I also personally think of them as blundering, dopey, and slow, but I don't know if that's actually true.
– Dan Bron
21 mins ago
I think you are right. The partridge is a game bird of some substance, while pigeons and sparrows are not.
– J. Taylor
20 mins ago
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
favorite
up vote
0
down vote
favorite
I was reading F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Bernice Bobs her Hair" and noticed this line.
But, after all, this critical circle is not close enough to the stage
to see the actors' faces and catch the subtler byplay. It can only
frown and lean, ask questions and make satisfactory deductions from
its set of postulates, such as the one which states that every young
man with a large income leads the life of a hunted partridge.
Somehow I feel that had Fitzgerald replaced "partridge" with "pidgeon" or "sparrow," the impact of the sentence would have been lost. So title.
meaning-in-context
asked 25 mins ago
Tomislav Ostojich
1065
I was reading F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Bernice Bobs her Hair" and noticed this line.
But, after all, this critical circle is not close enough to the stage
to see the actors' faces and catch the subtler byplay. It can only
frown and lean, ask questions and make satisfactory deductions from
its set of postulates, such as the one which states that every young
man with a large income leads the life of a hunted partridge.
Somehow I feel that had Fitzgerald replaced "partridge" with "pidgeon" or "sparrow," the impact of the sentence would have been lost. So title.
meaning-in-context
meaning-in-context
asked 25 mins ago
Tomislav Ostojich
1065
asked 25 mins ago
Tomislav Ostojich
1065
asked 25 mins ago
Tomislav Ostojich
1065
asked 25 mins ago
Tomislav Ostojich
1065
asked 25 mins ago
Tomislav Ostojich
1065
1065
1
I don't think the meaning would be lost. Young men with money are prime eligible bachelors, and young women and their families, etc hunt these affluent young men down as potential husbands, like hunters and fowl. Which fowl is probably irrelevant. But partridges are game fowl, and sparrows are not. I guess you have to flush partridges out of their hiding places in the bushes, whereas pigeons etc are usually on the wing. So there's more of a sense of stalking something? I also personally think of them as blundering, dopey, and slow, but I don't know if that's actually true.
– Dan Bron
21 mins ago
I think you are right. The partridge is a game bird of some substance, while pigeons and sparrows are not.
– J. Taylor
20 mins ago
add a comment |
1
I don't think the meaning would be lost. Young men with money are prime eligible bachelors, and young women and their families, etc hunt these affluent young men down as potential husbands, like hunters and fowl. Which fowl is probably irrelevant. But partridges are game fowl, and sparrows are not. I guess you have to flush partridges out of their hiding places in the bushes, whereas pigeons etc are usually on the wing. So there's more of a sense of stalking something? I also personally think of them as blundering, dopey, and slow, but I don't know if that's actually true.
– Dan Bron
21 mins ago
I think you are right. The partridge is a game bird of some substance, while pigeons and sparrows are not.
– J. Taylor
20 mins ago
1
1
I don't think the meaning would be lost. Young men with money are prime eligible bachelors, and young women and their families, etc hunt these affluent young men down as potential husbands, like hunters and fowl. Which fowl is probably irrelevant. But partridges are game fowl, and sparrows are not. I guess you have to flush partridges out of their hiding places in the bushes, whereas pigeons etc are usually on the wing. So there's more of a sense of stalking something? I also personally think of them as blundering, dopey, and slow, but I don't know if that's actually true.
– Dan Bron
21 mins ago
I don't think the meaning would be lost. Young men with money are prime eligible bachelors, and young women and their families, etc hunt these affluent young men down as potential husbands, like hunters and fowl. Which fowl is probably irrelevant. But partridges are game fowl, and sparrows are not. I guess you have to flush partridges out of their hiding places in the bushes, whereas pigeons etc are usually on the wing. So there's more of a sense of stalking something? I also personally think of them as blundering, dopey, and slow, but I don't know if that's actually true.
– Dan Bron
21 mins ago
I think you are right. The partridge is a game bird of some substance, while pigeons and sparrows are not.
– J. Taylor
20 mins ago
I think you are right. The partridge is a game bird of some substance, while pigeons and sparrows are not.
– J. Taylor
20 mins ago
add a comment |
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1
I don't think the meaning would be lost. Young men with money are prime eligible bachelors, and young women and their families, etc hunt these affluent young men down as potential husbands, like hunters and fowl. Which fowl is probably irrelevant. But partridges are game fowl, and sparrows are not. I guess you have to flush partridges out of their hiding places in the bushes, whereas pigeons etc are usually on the wing. So there's more of a sense of stalking something? I also personally think of them as blundering, dopey, and slow, but I don't know if that's actually true.
– Dan Bron
21 mins ago
I think you are right. The partridge is a game bird of some substance, while pigeons and sparrows are not.
– J. Taylor
20 mins ago