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Reader question:
In this paragraph – Don't think it's enough? What did the Raptors get for
Vince Carter, or the 76ers for Allen Iverson? Squat, by comparison – what does
"squat" mean?
My comments:
It means nothing.
Really.
"Squat" is an American slang term. It's an emphatic way of saying
"nothing", or "absolutely nothing". Here, it means both those teams got little
or no value – or squat value – back for trading their superstars.
Squat value, as in squat-value T-shirts are on sale at a flea market, means
very cheap, or dirt cheap (as though the shirts are as cheap as dirt).
Another variation of "squat" is "Jack Squat". Unlike "John Doe" or "Henry
Smith", names to use in conversations for the anonymous average man, "Jack
Squat" is a derogative term. I guess the sound of it is not very pleasant. For
example, using the two basketball superstars aforementioned, you could say:
"Squat, Jack Squat, is what they got for trading Vince Carter and Allen
Iverson." But then, you could be sure that those other players involved in the
trades would be upset (to be compared with Jack Squat).
Anyways, I'm sure this makes "squat" easy to remember. And to help you
remember the word is the only purpose here. If you can manage, don't use it in
actual conversations. "Nothing", "nothing at all" or "absolutely nothing" are
sufficient for expressing the same idea.
OK. That's it for today. Having talked about squat value, I hope you've got
a wee bit more than that from this column. |
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发表于 2016-7-9 23:41:42