meanings

[shery]

Hi Teacher,

Could you please help me with the following sentences? I am not quite sure what they mean.


1. A young linthead begins working at the fine wage of eight or ten dollars a
week at such times as he can get himself employed.

2. With three or four younguns they are held down the same as if they had
on chains.

3. I sacrificed the things in hand for the good of the hypothetical whole.

Thanks a bunch.

[Casiopea]

Click here http://www.rsdb.org/ for a definition of linthead. (It's a racial slur).

'younguns' refers to young children, and 'they' refers to mothers:

2. With three or four young children, mothers are held down the same as if they had on chains.

I'm not sure what 3. means. Sorry.

3. I sacrificed the things in hand for the good of the hypothetical whole.

[MrPedantic]

...I sacrificed the things in hand for the good of the hypothetical whole....

Perhaps...

'I accepted a small disadvantage for the sake of a greater advantage.'

If you fall in the river, you kick off your shoes, so that you can swim more easily. You have sacrificed something small (your shoes) for the good of something more important (yourself).

Or if you are the commander of a retreating army, you may post a small detachment of soldiers as a rearguard. The soldiers will probably not survive. You have sacrificed a few soldiers for the good of the hypothetical whole (your army).

The 300 Spartans at Thermopylae were sacrificed for the good of the hypothetical whole.

MrP

[Casiopea]

Thanks Mr P.
Your posts always make me smile.