[Idiom] be cast to four winds like a fistful of confetti?

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sky753

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Hello Everyone,

I am reading Brooklyn Folly by Paul Auster. In it, there is a sentence I can't fully understand.

He had been turned into pauper, penniless convict without a single resource or plan. Once he served his time in Joliet, he would be cast to the four winds like a fistful of confetti.


(Here he refers to Harry, a gallery owner sentenced to seven years in prison, who had been charged with creating scam paintings.)


Thanks and Regards

Sky:)
 

JMurray

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The "four winds" refers to the winds from the north, south, east and west. As an idiom, to be "cast to the four winds" means to be thrown in all directions. In this case the writer has extended the metaphor by suggesting that when he has finished his prison sentence (served his time) he will be let out into the world and blown around like confetti, at the mercy of whatever fate awaits him.
 

Rover_KE

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Thanks and regards.

There is no need to capitalise R.

I presume you have looked up 'confetti'. A fistful is the same as a handful of it.
 

sky753

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There is no need to capitalise R.

I presume you have looked up 'confetti'. A fistful is the same as a handful of it.

Thanks for your pointing out my mistakes, I have always used this way. And I will pay attention to it next time. I would like to know here what you mean by saying have looked up 'confetti' ?
 

sky753

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The "four winds" refers to the winds from the north, south, east and west. As an idiom, to be "cast to the four winds" means to be thrown in all directions. In this case the writer has extended the metaphor by suggesting that when he has finished his prison sentence (served his time) he will be let out into the world and blown around like confetti, at the mercy of whatever fate awaits him.

Thanks for your time, can you tell me what is the meaning of "cast" here?
 

JMurray

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to cast = to throw, often with the intention of spreading the thing thrown.
confetti = many small pieces of paper, often coloured, that are typically thrown during a celebration such as a wedding.
 

sky753

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to cast = to throw, often with the intention of spreading the thing thrown.
confetti = many small pieces of paper, often coloured, that are typically thrown during a celebration such as a wedding.

Thanks so much for your time!:):up::up:
 

Rover_KE

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I would like to know here what you mean by saying have looked up 'confetti' ?

You said you couldn't fully understand the sentence. I assumed that you could understand 'confetti', as it's in every dictionary and you would have looked it up.

'Cast' is also in every dictionary.

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Thank you.

Rover
 
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