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small of his

English translation: The full phrase is "the small of his back"

01:51 Jan 10, 2003
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary
English term or phrase: small of his
The woman in this novel. She is the heroine and the story teller herself in this novel. She is talking about her boyfriend and thier love making. After he'd came:

"Wait, stay in" I'd say sometimes, holding my hand against the small of his back. I was scared of both the truth and the lies. I feared even the name of it: withdrawal.

I would like to know if the small of his means his Penis?
And since she told her boyfriends some lies, I would like to know if there is any other meaning when she say "I was scared of both the truth and the lies. I feared even the name of it: withdrawal"
Buttercup
Selected answer:The full phrase is "the small of his back"
Explanation:
The small of "someone's" back is that part of the back that is just below the middle and that is usually at the narrowest section of the back.


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Note added at 2003-01-10 03:32:43 (GMT)
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To me, the sentence about truth, lies, and withdrawal does not point to hidden meanings. Of course, one cannot tell for sure without knowing the full story, but it seems that the woman is afraid of some reality, which she has covered by lying, which in tun complicates things, because she ends up fearing both the reality as well as the consequences of her lies. As to withdrawal, she may have meant withdrawal symptoms. Does she suffer from any dependencies or co-dependency tendencies? The word \"withdrawal\" as used here and the sentence as a wholehere do not lead me to any subliminal meanings, unless the other parts of the story support such a notion.

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Note added at 2003-01-10 04:45:54 (GMT)
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I believe Rita Heller is quite correct. The woman in the story is holding the man with her hand placed behind his back so as to keep him in, so he would not withdraw. The withdrawal here is the post-coital kind. I should have read the question more carefully. Thanks, Rita.
Selected response from:

Fuad Yahya
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement. KudoZ.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +14The full phrase is "the small of his back"
Fuad Yahya
5the small is not his penis.
Herman Vilella
4truth and lies
jerrie


  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +14
The full phrase is "the small of his back"


Explanation:
The small of "someone's" back is that part of the back that is just below the middle and that is usually at the narrowest section of the back.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-01-10 03:32:43 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

To me, the sentence about truth, lies, and withdrawal does not point to hidden meanings. Of course, one cannot tell for sure without knowing the full story, but it seems that the woman is afraid of some reality, which she has covered by lying, which in tun complicates things, because she ends up fearing both the reality as well as the consequences of her lies. As to withdrawal, she may have meant withdrawal symptoms. Does she suffer from any dependencies or co-dependency tendencies? The word \"withdrawal\" as used here and the sentence as a wholehere do not lead me to any subliminal meanings, unless the other parts of the story support such a notion.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-01-10 04:45:54 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I believe Rita Heller is quite correct. The woman in the story is holding the man with her hand placed behind his back so as to keep him in, so he would not withdraw. The withdrawal here is the post-coital kind. I should have read the question more carefully. Thanks, Rita.


    American Heritage Dictionary
Fuad Yahya
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 893
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement. KudoZ.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Refugio
3 mins
agree  Chris Rowson (X)
44 mins
agree  Nancy Arrowsmith
47 mins
agree  Andres Pacheco
1 hr
agree  RHELLER: she is holding his body to hers-does not want him to withdraw
2 hrs
  -> Thank you, Rita, for waking me up. With a second look at the question, I see that I must have failed to have a first look. There I was waxing psychoanalytical about "withdrawal" when it is all very plain.
agree  Alexandra Tussing
3 hrs
agree  Marie Scarano
4 hrs
agree  EDLING (X)
5 hrs
agree  Sarah Ponting: agree with Rita
5 hrs
  -> So do I.
agree  Peter Coles: Don't beat yourself up too much. I think he concern here relates to both physical and psychological withdrawal following a moment of intimacy.
8 hrs
agree  Christopher Crockett: No question about it.
13 hrs
agree  Dolly Xu
1 day 1 hr
agree  Paula Ibbotson
2 days 2 hrs
agree  Tanja Abramovic (X): Yes, the small of his back = his lower back.
5 days
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
the small is not his penis.


Explanation:
She keeps him inside her after his ejaculation, by applying pressure on the "small of his back", meaning the hollow in his lower back where the coxis is and his buttocks start. Patently a "missionary" position. She's using only one hand, I guess. (Two hands might be more effective/affective).

Herman Vilella
Local time: 22:42
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in pair: 14

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Peter Coles: Agree with everything that you've said except about the position. A little more imagination is needed here Herman :-)
4 hrs
  -> I've been playing naive for 50 years. It works.
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
truth and lies


Explanation:
As already mentioned above, the small of his back, is the point around the cocyx, base of spine, just above the buttocks.

It sounds as if the narrator feels that whilst making love to her boyfriend (whilst they are making love), she can forget about the truth and the lies of their relationship. During love making, all the 'problems' are forgotten.
For this reason she wants to prolong the lovemaking (wait, stay in), and avoid the realities of their relationship.
It could be, that because of the lies that she has already told him, she is worried that if/when he finds out about these lies, he will leave her (withdrawal of himself from her physically after lovemaking / withdrawal from the relationship completely).

Just an idea.
hth

jerrie
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:42
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 773
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