I was caught up with some confusing sentences from a short novel.
And here are the sentences
1. He brooded over the shame of his chasement for two weeks, and then, in a momentary fit of insanity, armed himself to the teeth, rode into town.
2. He drove a knife Feldner's neck, killing him instantly. The widow caught the limp form and eased it to the earth
I think "to the teeth" may mean he is angry and revengeful, with his teeth tight like holding the fist., but the underlined two in the second sentences confuse me. Does "ease" means "placify"? What is the meaning of "eased it to the earth" and "limp form"?
Imagine a pirate from centuries past with a sword in one hand, a cutlass in the other hand, and a dagger between his clenched teeth. That guy is "armed to the teeth". His hands are full so the only other (comfortable) place to put a weapon is between his teeth. That's the literal meaning. These days, anyone very well-armed is "armed to the teeth" even if they don't actually have a weapon between their teeth. :D
In "eased it to the earth", the word "ease" means to lower slowly. The widow lay the dead man down onto the ground slowly and gently and under control. A "limp form" is a form (or shape) that is limp (or floppy or flaccid). A "limp form" has become a cliche in stories meaning "a dead or unconscious body."
