. . . - and not much of a one either.

[shootingstar]

However, I must have gone to sleep in the course of time, because the next thing I was aware of was the fact that day was breaking, Mr. W. . . gone, and Mr. Bixby at the wheel again. So it was four o'clock and all well - but me; I felt like a skinful of dry bones and all of them trying to ache at once. Mr. Bixby asked me what I had stayed up there for. I confessed that it was to do Mr. W. . . a benevolence, - tell him where he was. It took five minutes for the entire preposterousness of the thing to filter into Mr. Bixby's system, and then I judge it filled him nearly up to the chin; because he paid me a compliment - and not much of a one either. He said,
'Well, taking you by-and-large, you do seem to be more different kinds of an ass than any creature I ever saw before. What did you suppose he wanted to know for?'
I said I thought it might be a convenience to him.
'Convenience! D-nation! Didn't I tell you that a man's got to know the river in the night the same as he'd know his own front hall?'
('Life On The Mississippi', chapter 'Perplexing Lessons' by Mark Twain).

Can you tell me as literally as possible what "and not much of a one either" means in this context?

 

[jutfrank]

one = compliment

... and not much of a compliment, either.

 

[shootingstar]

I see, the way of my asking the question is of little help. It doesn't contribute much to a better understanding. Hence, my new question is as follows: What does the author want to express by using the words "and not much of a one either" in this context?

 

[jutfrank]

If compliments can be placed on a scale of how complimentary they are, this particular one scored low.

 

[shootingstar]

When reading the words "and not much of a one either" in this context, don't you take them to mean an understatement?

 

[5jj]

I don't.

 

[emsr2d2]

When reading the words "and not much of a one either" in this context, don't you take them to mean an understatement?

Definitely not. And who would be understating what?

 

[shootingstar]

It occurred to me, if "and not much of a one (= compliment) either" is definitely not an understatement it is an exaggeration or hyperbole for sure, right?

 

[5jj]

It occurred to me, if "and not much of a one (= compliment) either"

But it is not a compliment, as jutfrank pointed out.

is definitely not an understatement it is an exaggeration for sure, right?

I don't follow that at all.

 

[emsr2d2]

It occurred to me no comma here that if "and not much of a one (= compliment) either" is definitely not an understatement, it is an exaggeration for sure, right?

No. Something not being an understatement doesn't make it an exaggeration. It's simply a way of saying "It was, at best, a very slight compliment".

 

[Annabel Lee]

. . . he paid me a compliment - and not much of a one either. [. . .]
('Life On The Mississippi', chapter 'Perplexing Lessons' by Mark Twain).

I think Twain was using grammar peculiar to a regional dialect there. In modern English, when the indefinite article (a/an) introduces the pronoun one, an adjective comes between the article and one: a big one, a small one, etc. Absent such an intervening adjective, the indefinite article is not standardly used. Assuming this was the case during Twain's time, he presumably would have written "and not much of one either" had he wanted to use standard, nondialectal English there.

I like receiving compliments. I received a one just the other day.
I like receiving compliments. I received a big one just the other day.
I like receiving compliments. I received one just the other day.

A couple of exceptions do come to mind, though -- the combinations such a one as [. . .] and not so [ADJ.] a one as [. . .].

 

[shootingstar]

It's simply a way of saying "It was, at best, a very slight compliment".

No, it isn't "simply a way of saying" anything. No, it isn't "at best a very slight compliment" at all - on the contrary, Mark Twain, the narrator and former cub pilot, is using litotes to articulate that the 'compliment' . . .

'Well, taking you by-and-large, you do seem to be more different kinds of an ass than any creature I ever saw before.'

. . . is, in fact, a profound disparagement and insult. No doubt this phrasing is rife with irony, isn't it?

I see it that way, I can't help it!

 

[5jj]

No, it isn't "simply a way of saying" anything. No, it isn't "at best a very slight compliment" at all [...

. . . is, in fact, a profound disparagement and insult. No doubt

Even if you were an experienced teacher of English rather than a 'Student or Learner', @shootingstar, it would be more diplomatic to preface such opinions with 'in my opinion' when you disagreed with the comments of another member.

 

[shootingstar]

Even if you were an experienced teacher of English rather than a 'Student or Learner', @shootingstar, it would be more diplomatic to preface such opinions with 'in my opinion' when you disagreed with the comments of another member.

You are giving advice to yourself, actually: I regard you as an experienced teacher of English rather than a student or learner, @5jj . Now you are saying: "Even if you were an experienced teacher of English rather than a 'Student or Learner' it would be more diplomatic to preface such opinions with 'in my opinion' when you disagreed with the comments of another member?!" However, I can't read anything of 'in my opinion' or the like in any of your replies! Something doesn't quite fit here, does it?
The answer is, all those answers or replies are opinions; we don't need to add something that is implied.
And there isn't anybody who could say their statements or replies were the only truth, right? That would be undemocratic. Luckily, most of us don't live under a dictorial regime and we can have our say straightforward. But they are all opinions, nevertheless.

Please have a look at this poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, West-östlicher Divan/West-Eastern Divan,book Hafis:

The word is a fan!
Between the ribs
A pair of beautiful eyes peek out.
The fan is only a lovely veil,
It does indeed hide the face from me;
But it does not hide the girl,
Because the most beautiful thing she possesses,
The eye, flashes into my eye."

In German:
Das Wort ist ein Fächer! - The word is a fan!
Zwischen den Stäben - Between the ribs
Blicken ein paar schöne Augen hervor - A pair of beautiful eyes peek out.
Der Fächer ist nur ein lieblicher Flor, - The fan is only a lovely veil,
Er verdeckt mir zwar das Gesicht; - It does indeed hide the face from me;
Aber das Mädchen verbirgt er nicht, - But it does not hide the girl,
Weil das Schönste, was sie besitzt, - Because the most beautiful thing she possesses,
Das Auge, mir ins Auge blitzt. - The eye, flashes into my eye.

You see, the word is only a lovely veil and so is every opinion behind which you have to discover the beautiful thing - the beauty and the grandeur and the splendor - and the truth and the meaning of a statement.

That's what I would like to tell you. Now, take it easy and keep going.

 

[5jj]

Have a nice day.

 

[shootingstar]

Thank you, the same to you!