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Poetry & Literature / Country Music Lyric | | English term or phrase: playin' moon in forty-two | Hi,
It’s in a classic Highwaymen song:
DESPERADOS WAITING FOR THE TRAIN (Guy Clark)
[Kris] I'd play the Red River Valley
and he'd sit out in the kitchen and cry
and run his fingers through seventy years of livin'
wondering, Lord, has every well I drilled ran dry
We were friends, me and that old man.
Like desperados waiting for the train
[Waylon] He's a drifter and a driller of oil wells
and an old school man of the world,
let me how to drive his car when he's too drunk to
and he'd wink and give me money for the girls
and our lives was like some old western movie
From the time that I could walk he'd take me with him
to a bar called the Green Frog Café
and there was old men with beer guts and dominoes
lyin' about their lives while they played
and I was just a kid they called his sidekick
[John] I looked up and he was pushing eighty
and there was brown tobacco stains all down his chin.
To me he's one of the heroes of this country
so why's he all dressed up like some old man
drinking' beer and playin' moon in forty-two
[Willie] The day before he died I went to see him
I was grown and he was almost gone
so we just closed our eyes and dreamt us up a kitchen
and sang another verse to that old song.
[Waylon] "Come on, Jack, that son of a gun’s a coming"
All the best,
Simon |
| SeiTTKudoZ activityQuestions: 2857 ( 6 open) ( 5 closed without grading) Answers: 1
United Kingdom
| Local time: 22:46
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| | English translation:confused | Explanation:
reference to two different types of dominoes games i.e. moon and forty-two. So obviously it is someone who is quite mixed up and confused (sad) and that is the reason why he can't distinguish between moon and forty-two and is mixing up the rules of these games.
It seems to fit as according to this site:
http://www.pagat.com/pointtrk/42.html
Forty-two is a trick taking game played with dominoes. It is especially popular in Texas, USA.
And given the information provided at:
http://www.guyclark.com/?content=bio
it fits in the context quite well.
Here are some references that may be of some use:
http://www.odomino.com/fortytwodominoes.html
http://www.odomino.com/moondominoes.html
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Note added at 25 mins (2008-05-04 11:10:05 GMT)
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confused because he is sad about his present situation and can't do much to fight it...
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Note added at 29 mins (2008-05-04 11:14:31 GMT)
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Another thing worth noting is that moon and forty-two are quite similar so it is easy to be confused. They are similar but different. And the lyricist is playing on these similarities and providing a geographical marking. These two words and dominoes make it clear that the location is Texas, US.
Of course, there are quite a few other possible interpretations. |
| Selected response from:
  Ritu Bhanot
France
Local time: 23:46
| Grading comment many thanks excellent
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer |
| |
| Discussion entries: 0 |
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Automatic update in 00:
|
24 mins confidence:   peer agreement (net): +1 confused
Explanation:
reference to two different types of dominoes games i.e. moon and forty-two. So obviously it is someone who is quite mixed up and confused (sad) and that is the reason why he can't distinguish between moon and forty-two and is mixing up the rules of these games.
It seems to fit as according to this site:
http://www.pagat.com/pointtrk/42.html
Forty-two is a trick taking game played with dominoes. It is especially popular in Texas, USA.
And given the information provided at:
http://www.guyclark.com/?content=bio
it fits in the context quite well.
Here are some references that may be of some use:
http://www.odomino.com/fortytwodominoes.html
http://www.odomino.com/moondominoes.html
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 25 mins (2008-05-04 11:10:05 GMT)
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confused because he is sad about his present situation and can't do much to fight it...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 29 mins (2008-05-04 11:14:31 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Another thing worth noting is that moon and forty-two are quite similar so it is easy to be confused. They are similar but different. And the lyricist is playing on these similarities and providing a geographical marking. These two words and dominoes make it clear that the location is Texas, US.
Of course, there are quite a few other possible interpretations.
| Ritu Bhanot
France
Local time: 23:46
Native speaker of:  English, Hindi
PRO pts in category: 4
|
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3 hrs confidence: peer agreement (net): +3 playin' moon and forty-two
Explanation:
Don't know anything about it but it seems to be the name of the game -? and lots of sites give the lyrics in this form.
(computer going slow for some reason so not many refs. for now)
The protagonists go about their business on buckin’ broncs, big ol’ D-10 Caterpillers, ’51 Chevrolets, fast
rollin’ streamliners, and cheap hotel elevators. They are desperados waiting for a train and tote gunny
sacks full of trouble. They are sidekicks drinkin’ beer and playing Moon and Forty-two. They know that
old friends shine like diamonds.
http://tinyurl.com/6njvfz
One day I looked up and he's pushin' eighty
And there's brown tobacco stains all down his chin
Well to me he's one of the heroes of this country
So why's he all dressed up like them old men
Drinkin' beer and playin' moon and forty-two
Like desperados waiting for the train like desperados waiting for the train
http://tinyurl.com/6njvfz
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Note added at 7 hrs (2008-05-04 17:51:42 GMT)
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I didn't vote for it to be made "Pro" - hadn't even thought about doing so...
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Note added at 20 hrs (2008-05-05 07:31:38 GMT)
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...This is perfect for refreshing my memory of 42. I haven't played in about 6 years and plan on joining the Senior Center 42 group. I have really missed this game. Also played Moon. It was a little easier since you bid on tricks and not points. But, love both. ... I am originally from Texas, and I learned the game from my parents. They said that they courted with 42. Almost all their dates consisted of playing 42 with their parents.
From a Tennessean who wrote a poem about Texas 42
Here in Tuscaloosa, AL , our variation of 42 follows:
We play with Double 7’s. Now with the “7–3” domino, and 9 tricks instead of 7, the count is 54. (54 is the double 7 version of the 42 game played with double 6’s.)
Whoever gets the bid, has the option of calling “low” or “high”. Thus, the person who gets the bid, has 20 possible calls. He can call low or high on the 8 suits, low or high doubles, and low or high no-trump. We allow doubles of the maximum bid to 108 and 216. .....Fantastic Site - Thank You! God Bless & Long Live TEXAS!
http://texas42.net/42comments.html
| Rachel Fell
Local time: 22:46
Native speaker of:  English
PRO pts in category: 20
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The translation workplace 
