frigging / hlf-assed / full steam ahead

[vil]

Dear teachers,

Here are a few sentences from an English text that attracted my attention:

Would you be kind enough to tell me whether I am right with my interpretation of the expressions in question?

“You see that, man? You see the way they’re looking at us? Like we’re a couple of god damn lepers, man. God damn frigging lepers”, Lenny says to me in a tone of utter disdain and disgust.

frigging = used as an intensive, beastly, terrible,

ole = exclamation, excellent, superb

Now Lenny never did anything half-assed. When he put his mind to something, it was always full steam ahead.

half-assed = not well planned or executed, incompetent (inconclusive)

full stream ahead = full speed ahead = as fast and as strongly as possible. These expressions all allude to the steam engine, where full steam signifies that a boiler has developed maximum pressure.

Thank you for your efforts.

Regards,

V.

[Searching for language]

What about the sentences?

[vil]

Would you be kind enough to tell me whether I am right with my interpretation of the expressions in question?

Regards

V.

[MrPedantic]

Hello Vil,

Those are all sound interpretations.

(I don't see "olé" in your examples; but yes, it expresses delighted approval, e.g. during a well executed series of passes at a football match, or at a bullfight.)

Best wishes,

MrP

[pyoung]

Dear teachers,

Here are a few sentences from an English text that attracted my attention:

Would you be kind enough to tell me whether I am right with my interpretation of the expressions in question?

“You see that, man? You see the way they’re looking at us? Like we’re a couple of god damn lepers, man. God damnfrigginglepers”, Lenny says to me in a tone of utter disdain and disgust.

frigging = used as an intensive, beastly, terrible,

ole = exclamation, excellent, superb

Now Lenny never did anything half-assed. When he put his mind to something, it was always full steam ahead.

half-assed = not well planned or executed, incompetent (inconclusive)

full stream ahead = full speed ahead = as fast and as strongly as possible. These expressions all allude to the steam engine, where full steam signifies that a boiler has developed maximum pressure.

Thank you for your efforts.

Regards,

V.

Dear Vil:

Yes, your interpretations are good. I'd like to add that 'half-assed' has the connotation of something entered into without sufficient enthusiasm or willingness to do a thorough job. In other words, a 'half-assed' job is not inadequate as a result of any lack of ability, rather because of a lack of commitment to see it through.

Best wishes,

Petra

PS: Where does ole appear in your text? Is it from this quote farther on in the text: A great big ole plan, man” ?
If so, 'ole' means 'old.' 'A great big ole ______' is a common informal construction.

[vil]

Hi Mr.Pedantic,

Thank you for your undivided support as well for your well-judged note concerning the term “ole”.

Sure enough, one sentence sentence has slipped through my fingers in my original post.

After a while, he says to me, “I got a plan, man. A great big ole plan, man”, and keeps repeating the words, “plan, man” out-loud.

The present post should rectify this omission.

Regards,

V.

[vil]

Hi Petra,

Thank you for your thorough answer as well for your profound analysis. It did me a lot of good.

Regards,

V.

[Searching for language]

I apologize, I guess I didn't read the first post properly. Yes, your interpretations are good!

[MrPedantic]

Sure enough, one sentence sentence has slipped through my fingers in my original post.

After a while, he says to me, “I got a plan, man. A great big ole plan, man”, and keeps repeating the words, “plan, man” out-loud.

In that case, I would (with some regret) discard the excited crowd at the Nou Camp and opt for Petra's interpretation. (Also on the connotations of "half-assed".)

Best wishes,

MrP

[pyoung]

**Late-breaking cultural note**

The Superintendent of our local (California, rural county) high school has recently tried forbid the use of the words 'friggin'. 'frickin' and 'freaking' in the classroom on the grounds that they are thinly disguised substitutes for f*cking.
Most people I have talked with about this consider his attempt to be laughable in light of the fact that there are so many of these 'substitute words' in general use: gosh, darn, dang, heck, shoot, and geez are, of course, older versions of 'cleaned up' oaths. Although they are all decades older, the principle is the same.

!!!

Petra