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| 'a Hard Shoulder' In Hard Shoulder; Rephrasing | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Monday, 5. November 2012, 06:59 (327 Views) | |
| ElinaFinn | Monday, 5. November 2012, 06:59 Post #1 |
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Dire Straits
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In his latest diary entry Guy happened to mention the word 'hard shoulder' in connection with the tour buses avoiding a collision. I learned, to my great astonishment (after a quick check in a dictionary), that the term had this other meaning, which I would never have guessed. And it made me wonder if Mark was playing with that double meaning in the song, because it's in the chorus part with other traffic related words. In fact it's the chorus lines that I could never translate well into my native language, although I understand what the song is about. The man is disconsolate, because his wife left him, and the things he has, all the tools and equipment, can't comfort him. So, how would you rephrase the line "Man's broken down on the slip road, got a slipped load, and it's a hard shoulder to cry on."? |
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| 3Strats | Monday, 5. November 2012, 16:55 Post #2 |
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Communique
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Hi Elina, Mark is absolutely, definitely, playing with double meanings there. Yet another example of his clever writing. Man's broken down - usually would refer to his van breaking down, but here could also mean he has pulled off the motorway & is sitting in his van crying. (breaking down being an alternate phrase for crying). A slip road is (usually) the access to or exit from a motorway or dual carriageway. The hard shoulder is the "extra" bit of road at the side of a major road where you can pull over to get out of the flow of traffic if your car (or you!) has a breakdown. A slipped load - could refer to whatever he was carrying in the van having moved dangerously whilst on the journey, but probably is a euphemism for his emotional state (and of course is a good rhyme to slip road). The character hasn't got a "shoulder to cry on" (anyone to turn to for sympathy or support) and is parked on a hard shoulder, on his own, hence: "a hard shoulder to cry on" which would suggest he won't get any comfort there. Sorry if I've "over interpreted" there! Aidan. |
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When you point your finger 'cause your plan fell through, You've got 3 more fingers pointing back at you. I reserve the right to change my opinion at a moment's notice - Why should it just be a woman's prerogative? | |
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| ElinaFinn | Monday, 5. November 2012, 17:55 Post #3 |
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Dire Straits
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Thanks, Aidan! I'm sure you haven't "over interpreted" anything here, I think you have really ...how do you say it in English ... nailed it! :waytogo: So, that's what it's all about. The "slipped load" in particular puzzled me, but the way you explained it makes perfect sense! And to think that "a hard shoulder to cry on" can be taken literally, too ... :o I've always interpreted it only as "a shoulder to cry AGAINST". Good grief, the man's definitely a genius!!! B) And so are you, Aidan, thanks again! :) |
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| suprlinda | Tuesday, 6. November 2012, 16:27 Post #4 |
Making Movies
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Hi, Elina, In this country, depending on the type of road you are talking about - a multi-lane highway, or a two lane road, the area beyond the travel lanes on the outside of the road is always referred to as being the shoulder of the road. The multi-lane highways and many of the two lane paved roads have a 'hard' shoulder, or one that is paved and you could stop on it or park if you have trouble. Sometimes on the two lane roads that carry less traffic, they might only have several feet to four feet of shoulder, so you might stop on them, but you can't really park because of oncoming traffic. I can think of one state I've been in where the major freeway has a soft shoulder! If you stop on it with car trouble you might be in danger of sinking into the pavement, because it isn't built to the same specifications as the travel lanes! On some of the secondary roads they also have soft shoulders, but they aren't paved at all, and some shoulders are totally non-existent for one reason or another. (That is the case with many rural roads that aren't paved either, and may be only one lane wide.) So if you have a hard shoulder to cry on, that's good! :yay: |
| A pack of dog jackals and a rabble of ravens | |
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| ElinaFinn | Tuesday, 6. November 2012, 21:24 Post #5 |
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Dire Straits
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So it seems! I live in a rural area where even the paved two-lane roads only have a narrow (one or two feet) hard shoulder, if any. And the soft shoulders are often too slanted to pull over on. So I guess all one can do around here - in the case of an emotional breakdown - is to keep driving until one finds a bus stop to cry on! <_< |
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| qjamesfloyd | Wednesday, 7. November 2012, 07:49 Post #6 |
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Or a pub :) |
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"Yeah, me and my mate like ac-dc Hot & sweaty, loud & greasy" Mark Knopfler. | |
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| Stanko | Tuesday, 21. April 2015, 18:59 Post #7 |
Communique
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I was just about to clear the same doubt Elina & 3Strats! Thank you all as well. And yes pub could be a fine solution! :waytogo: |
| ... always at your boots, the mud behind the byre with its clammy hold ;-) | |
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