trying to go down the [. . .] expressway and he’s on the back swaying away.

[Vladv1]

"Those were the days when he took off with Silver, who had also returned to Australia, to spend Christmas with friends in Adelaide, before rejoining Bon in Sydney in January. With Silver soon establishing good connections in Sydney and Bon drinking more heavily than ever, they made an odd pair; both stoned on same-difference substances. ‘We hired a little motorcycle so we could get around,’ she recalled. ‘There were a few nights where I’m trying to go down the [. . .] expressway and he’s on the back swaying away.’"
Mick Wall, "Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be".
Could you please reword the bolded?

 

[jutfrank]

I think she's saying that he was drinking and she was doing speed.

the [. . .] expressway

What's this bracketed part? Is it really written like that?

 

[Vladv1]

I think she's saying that he was drinking and she was doing speed.



What's this bracketed part? Is it really written like that?

Those were the days when he took off with Silver, who had also returned to Australia, to spend Christmas with friends in Adelaide, before rejoining Bon in Sydney in January. With Silver soon establishing good
connections in Sydney and Bon drinking more heavily than ever, they made an odd pair; both stoned on same-difference substances. ‘We hired a little motorcycle so we could get around,’ she recalled. ‘There were a few nights where I’m trying to go down the [. . .] expressway and he’s on the back
swaying away.

 

[jutfrank]

the [. . .] expressway

Are you saying the publisher of the book used an ellipsis enclosed by square brackets? I can't make sense of that.

 

[PeterCW]

Are you saying the publisher of the book used an ellipsis enclosed by square brackets? I can't make sense of that.

I think you are interpreting "expressway" as a euphemism for an illicit substance. I reference to the motorbike suggests to me that the word should be taken at its face value. I can't see the need to suppress the name of the expressway but perhaps Silver thought that she could still be prosecuted for drug-driving on the basis of the quote if the name was given in full.

 

[emsr2d2]

Also asked HERE.
@Vladv1 When you've posted the same question on a different forum, please make sure you provide a link to that thread. Explain why you're now asking on a second forum (ie why you're not satisfied with the answers you got on the first forum).

 

[jutfrank]

I think you are interpreting "expressway" as a euphemism for an illicit substance.

Well, I'm trying to rule that out, yes.

I reference to the motorbike suggests to me that the word should be taken at its face value. I can't see the need to suppress the name of the expressway

Yes, it's likely that the bracketed part is the name of the expressway.

but perhaps Silver thought that she could still be prosecuted for drug-driving on the basis of the quote if the name was given in full.

That's a possibility, yes. I didn't think of that. I just want to understand the context confidently.

What do you think same-difference substances means, PeterCW? Any guesses? I'm really not sure.

 

[jutfrank]

I think she's saying that he was drinking and she was doing speed.

I no longer think this is likely to be right. I suppose it must mean that the substances they were on were different but had similar effects. I can't imagine what they might be.

 

[Vladv1]

Also asked HERE.
@Vladv1 When you've posted the same question on a different forum, please make sure you provide a link to that thread. Explain why you're now asking on a second forum (ie why you're not satisfied with the answers you got on the first forum).

Thanks. The answers were to vague for me on that forum.

 

[Vladv1]

I no longer think this is likely to be right. I suppose it must mean that the substances they were on were different but had similar effects. I can't imagine what they might be.

So she was driving the bike and was behind her and was swaying?

 

[jutfrank]

So she was driving the bike and was behind her and was swaying?

Yes, she was driving and he was behind her. They were both on substances.

Please put me out of my misery and tell me what you think [...] means.

 

[Vladv1]

Yes, she was driving and he was behind her. They were both on substances.

Please put me out of my misery and tell me what you think [...] means.

Might it be a sign showing omitted word due to legal stuff?

 

[emsr2d2]

Might it be a sign showing an omitted word due to legal stuff?

We don't know. We're trying to get you to tell us whether that's exactly how it was written in the original book or if you omitted something and replaced it with "[...]".

 

[Tarheel]

Thanks. The answers were TOO vague for me on that forum.

 

[Vladv1]

We don't know. We're trying to get you to tell us whether that's exactly how it was written in the original book or if you omitted something and replaced it with "[...]".

It is the original.

 

[Vladv1]

Yes, she was driving and he was behind her. They were both on substances.

Please put me out of my misery and tell me what you think [...] means.

Is an expressway a kind of a highway?

 

[teechar]

Bookmark www.onelook.com.

expressway meaning: Controlled-access highway for fast travel - OneLook

www.onelook.com

 

[probus]

Expressways are more usually called freeways in AmE and motorways in BrE.

 

[Skrej]

both stoned on same-difference substances. ‘

I think the point being made is that it doesn't really matter exactly what they were taking, the result was the same - they were both stoned.