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to ply with young women with alcohol

English translation: to give young women an alcoholic drink that will lower their defenses

18:36 Oct 30, 2007
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / literature
English term or phrase: to ply with young women with alcohol
He wondered if another Manhattan would help or hinder, and whether he should be plying with young women with alcohol and then letting them go and fend for themselves out on the mean streets of London.

(Context info.: he -a private detective- and the girl met at the Langham and start talking about the death of another woman)

In my opinion the writer says :"He was not sure whether another glass of Manhattan cocktail would make the girl speak or not and he was also wondering that he looked like a man who cheated women with alcohol and then encouraged (or forced) them to work as a prostitute on the cruel streets of London"


Do you think this is a correct explanation?
fortunetelle (X)
Local time: 22:16
Selected answer:to give young women an alcoholic drink that will lower their defenses
Explanation:
This sentence doesn't have anything to do with prostitution. He is simply questioning whether he should be lowering someone's defenses by giving them alcohol and then letting them go out alone where someone might prey (kidnap, rape, mug) on them.

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Note added at 9 mins (2007-10-30 18:45:59 GMT)
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Well, really, to ply them with drinks it to give them a lot of drinks. Not specifically to lower their defenses or inhibitions.

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Note added at 8 days (2007-11-08 16:08:25 GMT) Post-grading
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Thank you, fortuneteller65 :-)
Selected response from:

Claire Chapman
Local time: 15:16
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +4to give young women an alcoholic drink that will lower their defenses
Claire Chapman
4 +3plying young women with alcohol...
Lorraine Lamont
4 +1to supply women with or offer them alcoholic beverages [in a pressing manner]
Terry Burgess


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
to supply women with or offer them alcoholic beverages [in a pressing manner]


Explanation:
HTH.

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Note added at 43 mins (2007-10-30 19:20:17 GMT)
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One definition [in context] taken from the Random House-Webster's Eng.-Eng. dictionary:
5. to supply with or offer something pressingly to: to ply a person with drink.

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Note added at 46 mins (2007-10-30 19:22:37 GMT)
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Perhaps those of you who disagree might prefer "persuasive" rather than "pressing":-)

Terry Burgess
Mexico
Local time: 13:16
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 20

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Claire Chapman: //Additional checking does show that some dictionaries show "in a pressing manner" (as a host presses food upon a guest). Others show either a steady or abundant supply. In this sense, pressing would be "here, have some more," not forcing them to drink.
4 mins
  -> See my added notes:-)
agree  awilliams
8 mins
  -> Thanks, Amy:-)
neutral  Alexander Demyanov: Nothing in the original suggeste "in a pressing manner"//Right, but given the context, I don't think any "pressing" or "persuading" is needed
27 mins
  -> See my added notes:-)
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12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
plying young women with alcohol...


Explanation:
I agree with the two note posters above. The extra 'with' needs to be deleted. Also, plying young women with alcohol denotes lowering their defenses, perhaps lowering their inhibitions. In the context, I agree with Andrew (I believe it was?) who referred to 'leaving them to fend for themselves..." as more in the vein of setting them loose at night to fend/look out for themselves on potentially dangerous streets - streets now perhaps more dangerous in the girls' relaxed state. Hope that helps!

Lorraine Lamont
United States
Local time: 15:16
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  V_Nedkov: definitely the first "with" right after "plying" shouldn't be there.
3 hrs
agree  Patricia Townshend (X)
12 hrs
agree  John Alphonse (X): ...except i prefer candy! ;)
5 days
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8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
to give young women an alcoholic drink that will lower their defenses


Explanation:
This sentence doesn't have anything to do with prostitution. He is simply questioning whether he should be lowering someone's defenses by giving them alcohol and then letting them go out alone where someone might prey (kidnap, rape, mug) on them.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 mins (2007-10-30 18:45:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Well, really, to ply them with drinks it to give them a lot of drinks. Not specifically to lower their defenses or inhibitions.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 days (2007-11-08 16:08:25 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Thank you, fortuneteller65 :-)

Claire Chapman
Local time: 15:16
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 20

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Alexander Demyanov
28 mins
  -> Thank you, Alexander :-)
agree  Andrew Levine
2 hrs
  -> Thank you, Andrew :-)
agree  Carol Gullidge: Alcohol makes people lose their inhibitions - so they might become more talkative or careless than normal...It's not being used here as a bribe (like flowers or chocolates), but to loosen the tongue...
2 hrs
  -> Yes & thank you, Carol :-)
agree  kmtext
13 hrs
  -> Thank you, kmtext :-)
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