Anotherworld
How do you figure out this expression "cancel out somebody"? RORY: You can’t throw out Hug-a-World. LORELAI: I’m not throwing out Hug-a-World, I’m throwing out Hug-a-Canada. RORY: I learned my seven continents on Hug-a-World, don’t you remember? We used to squeeze it as tight as we could and then wherever our pinkies would end up, that’s where we were going to go together when I grew up. LORELAI: Yes, many a trip to Uzbekistan was planned that way. RORY: We can clean him up and keep him, can’t we? LORELAI: Throw him outside and I’ll see what I can do. RORY: Thank you. LORELAI: If I clean up Hug-a-World, does that cancel out me not getting rid of the boxers? RORY: I’ll consider it a wash. --- I don't understand what LORELAI said in the second line from the bottom of this script. And I don't figure out RORY's last line, either. Please help me get them. Thank!
Feb 11, 2016 1:14 AM
Answers · 5
1
1. Lorelei committed a fault by not getting rid of the boxers. She is now asking Rory whether she may be absolved of the fault, or make up for it, by cleaning Hug-a-World. That's what she is proposing to do: to cancel out a fault by doing someting good. 2. A wash - informal word for "a draw", meaning "the good equal the bad" or "the losses equal the gains." So Rory considers it a fair deal and he accepts it.
February 11, 2016
1
The grammar isn't correct, but it is a very common error among native speakers. The gerund ("getting rid of") technically requires the possessive pronoun: - Does that cancel out my [not] getting the boxers? The meaning is: - If I clean up this toy, does that "erase" that time I got rid of the boxers? - If I clean up this toy, does that make up for not getting rid of the boxers? - If I clean up this toy, is it OK that I didn't get rid of the boxers? - If I clean up this toy, will we be even (for having gotten rid of the boxers)?
February 11, 2016
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