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with only the most discerning disturbed children in mind

English translation: when the offices were being built/decorated, they were thinking of how to satisfy (pacify)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:with only the most discerning disturbed children in mind
Selected answer:when the offices were being built/decorated, they were thinking of how to satisfy (pacify)
Entered by: Shirley Fan

01:54 Apr 7, 2008
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
English term or phrase: with only the most discerning disturbed children in mind
Dr.Allerton's offices are lush and impeccably decorated,with only the most discerning disturbed children in mind.(Dr.Allerton is children's therapist.)
Shirley Fan
Local time: 04:23
when the offices were being built/decorated, they were thinking of how to satisfy (pacify)
Explanation:
the most discerning (discriminating, sensitive) of children. Meaning to provide the best possible environment even for the most difficult of patients.
Selected response from:

Mark Berelekhis
United States
Local time: 16:23
Grading comment
Thank you!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +5when the offices were being built/decorated, they were thinking of how to satisfy (pacify)
Mark Berelekhis
4 +2the most discerning parents
Chris Rowson (X)


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
when the offices were being built/decorated, they were thinking of how to satisfy (pacify)


Explanation:
the most discerning (discriminating, sensitive) of children. Meaning to provide the best possible environment even for the most difficult of patients.

Mark Berelekhis
United States
Local time: 16:23
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 206
Grading comment
Thank you!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  orientalhorizon
21 mins
  -> Thank you, oriental.
agree  Jack Doughty
4 hrs
  -> Thank you, Jack.
agree  David Moore (X)
5 hrs
  -> Thank you, David.
agree  BrettMN
15 hrs
  -> Thank you, Brett.
agree  V_Nedkov
7 days
  -> Thank you, V_N.
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
the most discerning parents


Explanation:
The phrase “the most discerning” is often used in advertising (perhaps mainly British) to try to appeal to people who are able and willing to pay a higher price for a product because they believe it to be better than the cheaper alternatives – they are supposedly able to “discern” the superior quality of the more expensive product.

In this case, Dr. Allerton’s offices have been decorated expensively – but not in fact with “more discerning” children in mind. The idea will have been to persuade the parents to be happy to pay high fees for Dr. Allerton’s services. The writer has phrased it like this as a sideswipe at the kind of parents who might be fooled by advertisers who use the phrase “the most discerning”, and at Dr. Allerton and his designers.


Chris Rowson (X)
Local time: 22:23
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Vicky Nash: Excellent explanation - definitely a dig at the parents/ Dr Allerton
3 hrs
agree  Can Altinbay
6 hrs
neutral  Mark Berelekhis: Yes, this is how the word is often used (and you explained it well), but I find it difficult to believe that the advertisers thought the parents of disturbed children care more about the office looking expensive than a peaceful/safe haven.
9 hrs
  -> I referred to the advertisers only to explain the most usual significance of the phrase in British English. The writer is making an oblique reference to this to indicate that Dr. Allerton has had his offices decorated in such a way as to appear up-market.
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