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What is the meaning of the repeated preposition “at"?



The Next CEO of Stack OverflowWhat is the meaning of “one cup”?What is the meaning of homey?What is the meaning of judge's statement?What is the meaning of the series?What is the meaning?What is the meaning of “vice president”?What is the meaning of speed?the meaning of the preposition “from”Meaning of the preposition “in” in contextWhat's the meanig of “in scorn of”?










3















What is the meaning of the following sentence?




I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk and a waiting
room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall,
at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette.



(Source: The Man Who Liked Dogs by Raymond Chandler)




Does it mean:




"I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk.
And I looked at a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall. And I looked at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette"




Can we remove the "at" from the sentence?




I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk and a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall, a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette.











share|improve this question




























    3















    What is the meaning of the following sentence?




    I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk and a waiting
    room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall,
    at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette.



    (Source: The Man Who Liked Dogs by Raymond Chandler)




    Does it mean:




    "I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk.
    And I looked at a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall. And I looked at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette"




    Can we remove the "at" from the sentence?




    I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk and a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall, a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette.











    share|improve this question


























      3












      3








      3








      What is the meaning of the following sentence?




      I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk and a waiting
      room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall,
      at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette.



      (Source: The Man Who Liked Dogs by Raymond Chandler)




      Does it mean:




      "I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk.
      And I looked at a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall. And I looked at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette"




      Can we remove the "at" from the sentence?




      I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk and a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall, a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette.











      share|improve this question
















      What is the meaning of the following sentence?




      I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk and a waiting
      room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall,
      at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette.



      (Source: The Man Who Liked Dogs by Raymond Chandler)




      Does it mean:




      "I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk.
      And I looked at a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall. And I looked at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette"




      Can we remove the "at" from the sentence?




      I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk and a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall, a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette.








      meaning






      share|improve this question















      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question








      edited Mar 21 at 9:56









      J.R.

      100k8129249




      100k8129249










      asked Mar 21 at 1:18









      user22046user22046

      735621




      735621




















          2 Answers
          2






          active

          oldest

          votes


















          3














          I think your understanding of the basic meaning is right. Also your intuition seems valid that this passage doesn't really need both "at"s.



          Not that I have the stature to criticize Mr. Chandler's writing, but I am a little puzzled why he put the "and" in the middle of the list of things he was looking at. It makes it little bit tricky to visualize the various furnishings in the office and/or the waiting room.



          I have a feeling the rest of the story will probably make sense without understanding this sentence perfectly though.






          share|improve this answer























          • I think the writer is grouping some of the items that are related with and, then using the repeated at for effect. Like at group1(item1 and item 2), at group2(item3) but the rule of three would have worked better at the 'at' layer.

            – Pureferret
            Mar 21 at 9:51


















          3















          Does it mean "I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk. And I looked at a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall. And I looked at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette" ?




          Yes.



          Normally the two participial phrases would be joined by and as you've guessed. The omission is a literary device called asyndeton, which here is meant to create an atmosphere of action and realism.



          The idea is that the subject matter is harsh realities, so flowery prose would be incongruous—either cruelly indifferent or idiotically oblivious. Terse narration signals awareness and even empathy.



          You'll see the effect repeats throughout the story:




          He looked around and under me, [but he] didn't see a dog.







          share|improve this answer

























            Your Answer








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            2 Answers
            2






            active

            oldest

            votes








            2 Answers
            2






            active

            oldest

            votes









            active

            oldest

            votes






            active

            oldest

            votes









            3














            I think your understanding of the basic meaning is right. Also your intuition seems valid that this passage doesn't really need both "at"s.



            Not that I have the stature to criticize Mr. Chandler's writing, but I am a little puzzled why he put the "and" in the middle of the list of things he was looking at. It makes it little bit tricky to visualize the various furnishings in the office and/or the waiting room.



            I have a feeling the rest of the story will probably make sense without understanding this sentence perfectly though.






            share|improve this answer























            • I think the writer is grouping some of the items that are related with and, then using the repeated at for effect. Like at group1(item1 and item 2), at group2(item3) but the rule of three would have worked better at the 'at' layer.

              – Pureferret
              Mar 21 at 9:51















            3














            I think your understanding of the basic meaning is right. Also your intuition seems valid that this passage doesn't really need both "at"s.



            Not that I have the stature to criticize Mr. Chandler's writing, but I am a little puzzled why he put the "and" in the middle of the list of things he was looking at. It makes it little bit tricky to visualize the various furnishings in the office and/or the waiting room.



            I have a feeling the rest of the story will probably make sense without understanding this sentence perfectly though.






            share|improve this answer























            • I think the writer is grouping some of the items that are related with and, then using the repeated at for effect. Like at group1(item1 and item 2), at group2(item3) but the rule of three would have worked better at the 'at' layer.

              – Pureferret
              Mar 21 at 9:51













            3












            3








            3







            I think your understanding of the basic meaning is right. Also your intuition seems valid that this passage doesn't really need both "at"s.



            Not that I have the stature to criticize Mr. Chandler's writing, but I am a little puzzled why he put the "and" in the middle of the list of things he was looking at. It makes it little bit tricky to visualize the various furnishings in the office and/or the waiting room.



            I have a feeling the rest of the story will probably make sense without understanding this sentence perfectly though.






            share|improve this answer













            I think your understanding of the basic meaning is right. Also your intuition seems valid that this passage doesn't really need both "at"s.



            Not that I have the stature to criticize Mr. Chandler's writing, but I am a little puzzled why he put the "and" in the middle of the list of things he was looking at. It makes it little bit tricky to visualize the various furnishings in the office and/or the waiting room.



            I have a feeling the rest of the story will probably make sense without understanding this sentence perfectly though.







            share|improve this answer












            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer










            answered Mar 21 at 1:51









            Lorel C.Lorel C.

            4,044149




            4,044149












            • I think the writer is grouping some of the items that are related with and, then using the repeated at for effect. Like at group1(item1 and item 2), at group2(item3) but the rule of three would have worked better at the 'at' layer.

              – Pureferret
              Mar 21 at 9:51

















            • I think the writer is grouping some of the items that are related with and, then using the repeated at for effect. Like at group1(item1 and item 2), at group2(item3) but the rule of three would have worked better at the 'at' layer.

              – Pureferret
              Mar 21 at 9:51
















            I think the writer is grouping some of the items that are related with and, then using the repeated at for effect. Like at group1(item1 and item 2), at group2(item3) but the rule of three would have worked better at the 'at' layer.

            – Pureferret
            Mar 21 at 9:51





            I think the writer is grouping some of the items that are related with and, then using the repeated at for effect. Like at group1(item1 and item 2), at group2(item3) but the rule of three would have worked better at the 'at' layer.

            – Pureferret
            Mar 21 at 9:51













            3















            Does it mean "I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk. And I looked at a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall. And I looked at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette" ?




            Yes.



            Normally the two participial phrases would be joined by and as you've guessed. The omission is a literary device called asyndeton, which here is meant to create an atmosphere of action and realism.



            The idea is that the subject matter is harsh realities, so flowery prose would be incongruous—either cruelly indifferent or idiotically oblivious. Terse narration signals awareness and even empathy.



            You'll see the effect repeats throughout the story:




            He looked around and under me, [but he] didn't see a dog.







            share|improve this answer





























              3















              Does it mean "I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk. And I looked at a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall. And I looked at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette" ?




              Yes.



              Normally the two participial phrases would be joined by and as you've guessed. The omission is a literary device called asyndeton, which here is meant to create an atmosphere of action and realism.



              The idea is that the subject matter is harsh realities, so flowery prose would be incongruous—either cruelly indifferent or idiotically oblivious. Terse narration signals awareness and even empathy.



              You'll see the effect repeats throughout the story:




              He looked around and under me, [but he] didn't see a dog.







              share|improve this answer



























                3












                3








                3








                Does it mean "I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk. And I looked at a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall. And I looked at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette" ?




                Yes.



                Normally the two participial phrases would be joined by and as you've guessed. The omission is a literary device called asyndeton, which here is meant to create an atmosphere of action and realism.



                The idea is that the subject matter is harsh realities, so flowery prose would be incongruous—either cruelly indifferent or idiotically oblivious. Terse narration signals awareness and even empathy.



                You'll see the effect repeats throughout the story:




                He looked around and under me, [but he] didn't see a dog.







                share|improve this answer
















                Does it mean "I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk. And I looked at a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall. And I looked at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette" ?




                Yes.



                Normally the two participial phrases would be joined by and as you've guessed. The omission is a literary device called asyndeton, which here is meant to create an atmosphere of action and realism.



                The idea is that the subject matter is harsh realities, so flowery prose would be incongruous—either cruelly indifferent or idiotically oblivious. Terse narration signals awareness and even empathy.



                You'll see the effect repeats throughout the story:




                He looked around and under me, [but he] didn't see a dog.








                share|improve this answer














                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer








                edited Mar 21 at 2:40

























                answered Mar 21 at 2:32









                Eric EskildsenEric Eskildsen

                1313




                1313



























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