#1  
Old 04-Dec-2006, 12:57
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Default …and away they danced.

Hi,
Please help me understand the meaning of away in the sentence from a fairy-tale:
“It’s the nicest tune we have ever heard”, said all the other fairies and away they danced.
They stayed where they were and went on talking with Jack later – why away?
Thanks in advance.
  #2  
Old 04-Dec-2006, 16:31
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Default Re: …and away they danced.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Humble View Post
Hi,
Please help me understand the meaning of away in the sentence from a fairy-tale:
“It’s the nicest tune we have ever heard”, said all the other fairies and away they danced.
They stayed where they were and went on talking with Jack later – why away?
Thanks in advance.

That's a fairly informal use of 'away' to modify a verb that involves continuity or repetition or lack of inhibition: There she was, talking away, regardless of how stupid she looked.

An informal way of saying 'carry on' is 'fire away'.

b
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Old 04-Dec-2006, 20:04
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Default Re: …and away they danced.

Aha, so they danced on.
Thanks, Bob.
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Old 04-Dec-2006, 22:23
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Default Re: …and away they danced.

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Originally Posted by Humble View Post
Aha, so they danced on.
Thanks, Bob.
I don't know the fairy tale, but if a character were reporting the scene, he could be using 'danced away' in the sense of dancing away from the narrator [to the other side of the room]. But the meaning of 'danced on' is more likely.

b
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Old 05-Dec-2006, 05:03
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Default Re: …and away they danced.

No, there's no doubt - they went on dancing.
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