
Student or Learner
Two lines from《The Shawshank Redemption 》:
1.The colossal prick even managed to sound magnanimous.
2.I think he did it just to feel normal again...if only for a short while.
Two questions:
1.What exactly does "colossal prick" mean?
2.what the usage of "if only"?is it the regular usage that expresses a strong wish which cannot happen?But I don't see how " feel normal again for a short while" cannot happen in this case.
Thanks!
1 is vulgar. Colossal is very large, and prick is another name for penis. He was an extremely unpleasant person. Do NOT use this expression yourself.
2. "if only for a short while" means "even though it lasted only a short time."
I'm not a teacher, but I write for a living. Please don't ask me about 2nd conditionals, but I'm a safe bet for what reads well in (American) English.
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