She is quite a catch!

[Nathan Mckane]

She is quite a catch!

What is the meaning of ''catch in the sentence above?

Thanks.

 

[~Mav~]

She is quite a catch!

What is the meaning of ''catch in the sentence above?

*** NOT A TEACHER ***


A catch is a person considered desirable as a partner or spouse.

 

[BobK]

:up: Imagine a fisherman standing on a riverbank with a fishing rod hoping to catch a ... mermaid? ;-)

b

 

[birdeen's call]

:up: Imagine a fisherman standing on a riverbank with a fishing rod hoping to catch a ... mermaid? ;-)

b

It's a riddle to me why the mermaid has appealed to men so much throughout the history... How is that creature better than a real woman with everything in its place?? :-?

 

[Raymott]

It's a riddle to me why the mermaid has appealed to men so much throughout [STRIKE]the [/STRIKE]history... How is that creature better than a real woman with everything in its place?? :-?

A mermaid is not better than a real woman. But mermaids were invented by sailors who were away from real women for a long time while at sea. So, the prospect of coming across a mermaid at sea was more likely than discovering a real woman.

 

[5jj]

A mermaid is not better than a real woman. But mermaids were invented by sailors who were away from real women for a long time while at sea. So, the prospect of coming across a mermaid at sea was more likely than discovering a real woman.

Perhaps the American slang expression 'a piece of tail' originated with frustrated seamen in search for a mermaid?

Answers.com - What does tail mean in slang

 

[Raymott]

Perhaps the American slang expression 'a piece of tail' originated with frustrated seamen in search for a mermaid?

If so, thereby hangs one.

 

[5jj]

If so, thereby hangs one.

:roll:

 

[5jj]

Incidentally, I have just noticed that I wrote, "in search for a mermaid." I appear to have conflated to search for, the search for and in search of, about which we had a discussion on another thread very recently.

This should give encouragement to learners who sometimes feel like giving up. I am a native speaker and an experienced teacher. I just wrote something that I would not accept from a student. Perhaps we teachers are a little too hard sometimes.

The annoying thing is that it seemed quite acceptable when I wrote it.

 

[Nathan Mckane]

If so, thereby hangs one.

Excuse me, what does that mean?

 

[5jj]

Excuse me, what does that mean?

It's an allusion to the expression 'and thereby hangs a tale' (so there is a pun involved - tail/tale).

This phrase means - There's a story behind what we have just said. It will make things clearer and/or amuse/interest/etc you.

Sometimes the expression is used without the tale being told. It has the idea of: It may be amusing to suggest that there is something behind all this, when in reality there isn't.

If you are confused by this, don't worry. Humour such as this (if it can truly be described as humour) does not translate well.

I thought Ray's reply to my slightly off-colour post was funny and clever. Many would find it pathetic.

 

[Raymott]

I thought Ray's reply to my slightly off-colour post was funny and clever. Many would find it pathetic.

I found it pathetic, but that's what puns can do to you! :-D

 

[BobK]

A mermaid is not better than a real woman. But mermaids were invented by sailors who were away from real women for a long time while at sea. So, the prospect of coming across a mermaid at sea was more likely than discovering a real woman.

:up: Quite so. But the Spanish (and probably Italian :-?) for 'mermaid is sirena - obviously a Classical reference, preserved in English in the idiom 'siren voices' (tempting but dangerous). The only other trace of 'siren' (in this sense) in current English (w-e-l-l, 20th century anyway) is the phrase 'screen siren'; and those sirens were considered by some to be especially attractive.

b

 

[BobK]

She is quite a catch!

What is the meaning of ''catch in the sentence above?

Thanks.

Other answers have given you what you need. But I've just thought of another bit of vocabulary related to fishing, used in the context of getting a spouse (specifically, in this case, not getting one): 'Don't worry - you'll soon find someone else. There are plenty of other fish in the sea.'


b