TWAIN-L Archives

Mark Twain Forum

TWAIN-L@YORKU.CA

Options: Use Classic View

Use Proportional Font
Show HTML Part by Default
Condense Mail Headers

Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Sat, 15 Jul 2023 10:51:22 -0400
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Message-ID: <[log in to unmask]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
From: Verhulst <[log in to unmask]>
Parts/Attachments: text/plain (10 lines)
According to Keith Bradford "It's quite simply "sucking on the heads of 
their canes" i.e. the handles of their walking-sticks. Typical gesture 
of sophisticated nervousness in the 19th century."

Tony V.

On 7/15/2023 10:02 AM, ben wrote:
> I'm reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, in chapter 5 it read "...for they had stood in the vestibule sucking their cane heads, a circling wall of oiled and simpering admirers...", I don't quite understand what the young men are doing, is "sucking their cane heads " a metaphor? Can someone explain it?
> Tks

ATOM RSS1 RSS2