Lee: the back of his hand

Marius Hancu

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Oct 10, 2010, 3:21:07 AM10/10/10

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Hello:

How do you imagine
"the back of his hand was at right angles to his body, his thumb
parallel to his thigh"
to have been?

Was the back of his hand turned towards his side/thigh? This much
pronation?

---
His left arm was somewhat shorter than his right; when he stood or
walked, the back of his hand was at right angles to his body, his
thumb parallel to his thigh.

Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
---
--
Thanks.
Marius Hancu

the Omrud

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Oct 10, 2010, 5:13:48 AM10/10/10

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On 10/10/2010 08:21, Marius Hancu wrote:
> Hello:
>
> How do you imagine
> "the back of his hand was at right angles to his body, his thumb
> parallel to his thigh"
> to have been?
>
> Was the back of his hand turned towards his side/thigh? This much
> pronation?
>
> ---
> His left arm was somewhat shorter than his right; when he stood or
> walked, the back of his hand was at right angles to his body, his
> thumb parallel to his thigh.

I read this as meaning that the back of his hand faces forwards and his
thumb is running down the seam of his trousers.

--
David

Marius Hancu

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Oct 10, 2010, 5:16:59 AM10/10/10

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Fine to me, but how about the "right angles to his body?"

Thanks.
Marius Hancu

the Omrud

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Oct 10, 2010, 5:29:55 AM10/10/10

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Yes, I see the problem. Does Harper Lee know geometry?

--
David

Message has been deleted

Wood Avens

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Oct 10, 2010, 5:59:37 AM10/10/10

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On 10 Oct 2010 09:41:54 GMT, A.C...@DENTURESsussex.ac.uk wrote:

>Thus spake Marius Hancu (marius...@gmail.com) unto the assembled multitudes:

>
>>> > His left arm was somewhat shorter than his right; when he stood or
>>> > walked, the back of his hand was at right angles to his body, his
>>> > thumb parallel to his thigh.
>>>
>>> I read this as meaning that the back of his hand faces forwards and his
>>> thumb is running down the seam of his trousers.
>
>> Fine to me, but how about the "right angles to his body?"
>

>I depends on what is meant by the right angle to his body. I read it as
>meaning that his chest was the 'face' of his body and the plane of reference,
>and hence the back of his hand was facing to his left or right so that his
>thumb was on the facing-forward edge of his hand.

Oh. I, like the Omrud, assumed that the back of the hand faced
forwards, thus being at right angles to the nearest bit of body, the
side of the leg.

--

Katy Jennison

spamtrap: remove the first two letters after the @

Marius Hancu

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Oct 10, 2010, 6:05:13 AM10/10/10

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On Oct 10, 5:59 am, Wood Avens <k...@askjennison.com> wrote:
> On 10 Oct 2010 09:41:54 GMT, A.Cl...@DENTURESsussex.ac.uk wrote:
>
> >Thus spake Marius Hancu (marius.ha...@gmail.com) unto the assembled multitudes:

>
> >>> > His left arm was somewhat shorter than his right; when he stood or
> >>> > walked, the back of his hand was at right angles to his body, his
> >>> > thumb parallel to his thigh.
>
> >>> I read this as meaning that the back of his hand faces forwards and his
> >>> thumb is running down the seam of his trousers.
>
> >> Fine to me, but how about the "right angles to his body?"
>
> >I depends on what is meant by the right angle to his body. I read it as
> >meaning that his chest was the 'face' of his body and the plane of reference,
> >and hence the back of his hand was facing to his left or right so that his
> >thumb was on the facing-forward edge of his hand.
>
> Oh. I, like the Omrud, assumed that the back of the hand faced
> forwards, thus being at right angles to the nearest bit of body, the
> side of the leg.

OK, if the site of the body is considered a plane, I am getting it
this way.

Thank you all.

Marius Hancu

Donna Richoux

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Oct 10, 2010, 6:08:06 AM10/10/10

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the Omrud <usenet...@gmail.com> wrote:

Well, I don't see any problem. Usually one's hand hangs down parallel to
the side of the leg. (The plane of the hand, the plane of the side.) In
this case, rotate the hand 90 degrees. The plane of the hand makes a
right angle with the plane of the side of the leg. The thumb is not only
parallel to the thigh, it is next to it.

--
Best -- Donna Richoux

Doug

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Oct 10, 2010, 8:19:45 AM10/10/10

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Marius Hancu wrote:

I read it differently. Because he mentions it, there must be something
different about the stance. Here is how I see it. Stand with your left hand
next to your body the back of your hand facing forward. Now rotate your hand
so that the back of your hand is next to your body. That is the position I
think he's talking about. I've seen a number of people who have been injured
or have a birth defect that carried their arm that way

Message has been deleted

Prai Jei

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Oct 11, 2010, 5:28:02 PM10/11/10

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Marius Hancu set the following eddies spiralling through the space-time
continuum:

> Hello:
>
> How do you imagine
> "the back of his hand was at right angles to his body, his thumb
> parallel to his thigh"
> to have been?
>
> Was the back of his hand turned towards his side/thigh? This much
> pronation?

Check out how my right hand is placed in my childhood pic in the AUE
gallery. I think that is what is meant.

http://alt-usage-english.org/AUE_gallery/paul_townsend.html
--
ξ:) Proud to be curly

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