Wu Ting
How would you interpret “get it” here? Myers is the name. I made sure to get it this time, Melvin C. Myers, special agent from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Not the same man who was here before, right away I knew it was a different voice. This Myers is a man of rank, evidently, but he seemed almost apologetic. Too old for a fight, sorry that life has come to this. How would you interpret “get it” in the first sentence? PS: Another FBI agent had visited the narrator before. The narrator’s secretary was interviewed by the agent at that time, because the narrator himself didn’t show up. Does this phrase have anything to do with that fact? Thanks! And this excerpt is taken from The Lacuna by Kingsolver.
May 26, 2015 10:58 AM
Answers · 2
1
It means "got" in the sense of "captured." I made sure that I paid attention, listened, heard the name and remembered it. Other examples of use: "Honey, who was that person we just spoke to? I didn't get his name. Did you?" "Someone at customer service said they would refund the money, but I didn't get his name." "I didn't get the name of the policeman, but I got his badge number."
May 26, 2015
1
He made sure to take note of the agent's name. The previous time he'd been interviewed by an agent he neglected to find out the name of the agent. This time he made sure to get the name of the agent.
May 26, 2015
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