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28-Nov-2005, 09:40
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| |  peach
Thus, a sycophant may appear to be a sort of 'stool pigeon' since the latter curries the flavor of police officers by "peaching" on his fellow criminals.
Why does the writer use the quotation mark here? What does that mean?
Thanks, |
28-Nov-2005, 11:33
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| | Re: peach
The words in "quotes" are to indicate non-literal or colloquial terms.
peach, peaches, peached, peaching
To betray or inform on them, especially on an accomplice.
Form: peach on someone (always)
Etymology: as pesche in obsolete sense ‘to accuse or impeach', from obsolete apeche to hinder.
Stool pigeon
A police informer.
Origin
Hunters used to use decoy pigeons fixed to posts (stools) to lure their quarry. The term was later adopted to describe people who helped the police by luring criminals into police traps. It later came to mean anyone who helped the police by informing on others.
Hope this helps. David |
28-Nov-2005, 12:51
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| | Re: peach
Quote: |
Originally Posted by blacknomi Thus, a sycophant may appear to be a sort of 'stool pigeon' since the latter curries the flavor of police officers by "peaching" on his fellow criminals.
| Hello Blacknomi, how are you?
It should be "curries favor" rather than "flavor".
(I don't like to speculate what the flavour of some police officers might be.)
MrP |
28-Nov-2005, 13:30
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| | Re: peach
Hi David,
Thank you very much. I should have looked it up in other dictionaries. I was silly to look it up ONLY in Cambridge Dictionary. Why doesn't it have the verb form of 'peach'? Maybe Englishmen tend to look on the beautiful side of things.
Peaches are fruits! Peach is color that is having a pale pinkish orange colour! She's a lovely peach! Cambridge doesn't tell its readers that she is a Click Here
and helps the police by peaching on quarry.
Thank you. |
28-Nov-2005, 13:38
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| | Re: peach
Quote: |
Originally Posted by MrPedantic Hello Blacknomi, how are you?
It should be "curries favor" rather than "flavor".
(I don't like to speculate what the flavour of some police officers might be.)
MrP | (CHUCKLES! GGGGGG) Sorry, that was a typo. I'm great but how are you?   Don't forget to check my posts there if you have time.  |
28-Nov-2005, 18:02
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| | Re: peach
Hello stranger! Have you forgotten the impeachments in politics? |
29-Nov-2005, 05:06
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| | Re: peach
Or even appeachment.  |
29-Nov-2005, 17:20
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| | Re: peach
Hi, you're still alive!!!!!!!! SHOCKED
Can you send me your address again? Where do you live now? |
29-Nov-2005, 17:35
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| | Re: peach
Quote: |
Originally Posted by blacknomi Hi, you're still alive!!!!!!!! SHOCKED
Can you send me your address again? Where do you live now? | Look who's talking! Did you mean TDol or me? |
30-Nov-2005, 16:44
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| | Re: peach
Y-O-U, you! I would be 100 times more shocked to see FRC alive. | | Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes |  Linear Mode | 
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