#1  
Old 18-Nov-2007, 01:31
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Default all I have to do is dream

Hi there.

"I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine."

1. Does 'make you mine' mean having you become my girl or wife...etc.? Is it a common usage? Do you native speakers say it often?

2. What does 'taste your lips of wine' mean? Does it mean the girl's lips like wine, good to taste? Is it a common usage?

"Only trouble is, gee whiz
I'm dreamin' my life away"
3. Is 'gee whiz' just an exclamation, doesn't have much meaning? Do you still use it today?

4. Does 'I'm dreaming my life away' mean 'I'm wasting my life'? Is it a common usage?


Thanks in advance.

_________
The Song All I Have To Do Is Dream Lyrics by The Everly Brothers

Last edited by Nefertiti; 18-Nov-2007 at 01:58.
  #2  
Old 18-Nov-2007, 03:09
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Default Re: all I have to do is dream

[quote=Nefertiti;228573]Hi there.

"I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine."

1. Does 'make you mine' mean having you become my girl or wife...etc.? Yes Is it a common usage? Yes, especially in music and poetry Do you native speakers say it often? In love letters I imagine that they do.

2. What does 'taste your lips of wine' mean? This is a metaphor for something intoxicating in a pleasant way. Does it mean the girl's lips like wine, good to taste? Is it a common usage? NO

"Only trouble is, gee whiz
I'm dreamin' my life away"
3. Is 'gee whiz' just an exclamation, doesn't have much meaning? just an exclamation Do you still use it today? No

4. Does 'I'm dreaming my life away' mean 'I'm wasting my life'? Yes Is it a common usage? No
  #3  
Old 18-Nov-2007, 17:43
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Default Re: all I have to do is dream

Remember that songs and speech are different and follow different rules. In speech, for example, we don't have to rhyme, nor are our paragraphs expected to follow certain rhythmic patterns. Also, songwriters are expected to be creative, to evoke imagery that is out of the ordinary.

~R

P.S. I think there are probably still people who say "Gee whiz".
  #4  
Old 18-Nov-2007, 18:34
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Default Re: all I have to do is dream

There are certain exclamations, such as 'gee whiz" and "crickey", which are distortions of what would have been regarded as blasphemous oaths in the past. So, when swearing, instead of "Jesus!", it was contorted into "gee whiz".
Similarly, "crickey" is the distortion of "Christ".

Last edited by David L.; 18-Nov-2007 at 18:49.
  #5  
Old 18-Nov-2007, 18:40
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Default Re: all I have to do is dream

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hi_there_Carl View Post
"Only trouble is, gee whiz
I'm dreamin' my life away"
3. Is 'gee whiz' just an exclamation, doesn't have much meaning? just an exclamation Do you still use it today? No

Some people do. Interjections such as "gee whiz" and "holy moly" and "Heavens to Betsy" never really fall out of general usage. It just varies from person to person. People who generally will not use curse words will use "gee whiz" instead, for example.

Last edited by RonBee; 18-Nov-2007 at 20:05. Reason: fix quote
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