[Vocabulary] issue

[maiabulela]

Dear all,

What is the meaning of the highlighted part:

"Word on the street is that you got a little (with thumb and forefinger) issue"

A girl said that to humiliate somebody who called her names.

What does "thumb and forefinger" refer to here. (that was an explanation in the script, not said by the girl"

Thanks a lot.

 

[Barb_D]

This is a wild guess, but the direction in the script is for her to hold her thumb and finger the way you do when you're indicating how long something is. In this case, she had her finger close to her thumb. The implication is that that is how big his genitalia is. Insulting the length of a man's "member" is emasculating and would be humiliating for the person she said it to.

 

[Fishman]

Dear all,

What is the meaning of the highlighted part:

"Word on the street is that you got a little (with thumb and forefinger) issue"

A girl said that to humiliate somebody who called her names.

What does "thumb and forefinger" refer to here. (that was an explanation in the script, not said by the girl"

Thanks a lot.

I'm not a 100% sure, someone else correct me if I'm wrong. I think it is an idiom. The forefinger, and thumb can form the shape of the English letter "L"

White children like to make a gesture with that sign to make fun of each other.

 

[Fishman]

This is a wild guess, but the direction in the script is for her to hold her thumb and finger the way you do when you're indicating how long something is. In this case, she had her finger close to her thumb. The implication is that that is how big his genitalia is. Insulting the length of a man's "member" is emasculating and would be humiliating for the person she said it too.

Wow your wild guess is very wild... maybe even shocking. I take it that you must be an English teacher, and of the caucasian ethnicity. See this is why I left school when I was still a kid. Education gives me the creep.

 

[Barb_D]

Well, Fishman, be assured I will not try to creep you out by trying to answer any of your questions.

 

[Mannysteps]

Not a teacher

The only sign I know with the thumb and forefinger is"OK". Maybe there's a mixture of spoken language to this end:

"Word on the street is that you got a little issue. OK/Got it?"

No offence, but I enjoyed the genitalia theory:lol:

M.

 

[nouamaneer]

This is a wild guess, but the direction in the script is for her to hold her thumb and finger the way you do when you're indicating how long something is. In this case, she had her finger close to her thumb. The implication is that that is how big his genitalia is. Insulting the length of a man's "member" is emasculating and would be humiliating for the person she said it too.

I totally agree with. I heard that in some American movies and it totally sounds normal in Slang. Not an idiom definitly.

 

[bhaisahab]

This is a wild guess, but the direction in the script is for her to hold her thumb and finger the way you do when you're indicating how long something is. In this case, she had her finger close to her thumb. The implication is that that is how big his genitalia is. Insulting the length of a man's "member" is emasculating and would be humiliating for the person she said it too.

I think you have it there, that was my understanding of it.

 

[nouamaneer]

Wow your wild guess is very wild... maybe even shocking. I take it that you must be an English teacher, and of the caucasian ethnicity. See this is why I left school when I was still a kid. Education gives me the creep.

Your answer made feel sick. I am sorry for that! But let me tell you something. We are all still learining and if we keep on shying form taboos, we will never learn how to be educated.

Besides, the one who uttered the words in real life that should be ashamed, not the one who explained.

Thanks anyway,

 

[Mannysteps]

I've got the complete picture. Thank you Barb_D and nouamaneer. It isn't a conversation just a passing sarcastic remark.

M.

 

[birdeen's call]

I feel like I've lost the ability to understand what other human beings are saying. :-? I was unable to understand Fishman's post and now I can't understand yours, Manny. What have you got the complete picture of? (I won't ask about Fishman's post, because it seems to be offensive -- even though I can't comprehend it.)

 

[maiabulela]

This is a wild guess, but the direction in the script is for her to hold her thumb and finger the way you do when you're indicating how long something is. In this case, she had her finger close to her thumb. The implication is that that is how big his genitalia is. Insulting the length of a man's "member" is emasculating and would be humiliating for the person she said it to.

yes! that suits my context. but I want to know something. (she is insulting the length of his genitalia) this means the length in general or you mean it's "long"??

Thanks a lot.:up:

 

[Mannysteps]

I fail to understand the comparission between my post and birdman's. It takes some imagination, I must say, Since you haven't quite understood me, I'll go the long way round:

The threadstarter made it appear as part of a conversation, which I now belief it wasn't. By me saying that I've got the complete pictrure I meant that I could visualize the situation. To me it goes something like this:

After having been insulted a girl walks by the one who had insulted her, knowing she has a new boyfriend and makes a sarcastic remark:

"Word is out that you've got a little issue", as an indirect reference to the other girl boyfriend' pennis, emphasizing the smallness of the "issue" with her forefinger and thumb.

To understand needs an open mind. Note that I did reffer To Barb_K
and nouamaneer's comments in my post as refferences for my own.

M.

 

[birdeen's call]

I fail to understand the comparission between my posta and birdman's. It takes some imagination, I must say, Since you haven0't quite understood me, I'll go the long way round:

Please notice that I haven't said your posts are alike. I just said I couldn't understand both of them. I certainly meant no offence. (The open mind remark was however a bit offensive to me. I understand that you found my post rude and this is why you said it. I'm sorry I caused it.)

 

[Barb_D]

yes! that suits my context. but I want to know something. (she is insulting the length of his genitalia) this means the length in general or you mean it's "long"??

Thanks a lot.:up:

I mean that she is saying that his member is quite small. That's his "small issue."

 

[Mannysteps]

Maiabulela: don't you sometimes use your forefinger and your thumb to say things like "The book is about this thick"? The girl did the same to say that the "issue" was tiny-tiny, of course. That was the insult.

Birdeen's call: Peace.

M.