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fine

English translation: yes

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:fine
Selected answer:yes
Entered by: Daniel Mencher

08:20 Nov 12, 2003
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
English term or phrase: fine
It occured to me that Jack was like this piece of think dritftwood, a small resentful piece, fine-but he'd kept me afloat.
vkan
yes
Explanation:
Another way of saying this would be to replace "fine" with "yes".

It means that although the piece of driftwood is small and resentful, it would still keep him afloat. In other words, despite its small stature and resentful attitude, it would still perform a good function correctly.

Good luck!

-Dan

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-11-13 04:03:53 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

If you\'re speaking, the best word to use is \"yeah\". However, you shouldn\'t use this word when writing.
Selected response from:

Daniel Mencher
United States
Local time: 05:48
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
3 +7sure
Gordon Darroch (X)
5 +4yes
Daniel Mencher
5 +2true
NancyLynn
5 +1it's true
David Moore (X)
4 -1very thin or slender
Michael Powers (PhD)
5 -2not thick..
airmailrpl
4 -1delicate
Carina Balbo
4 -1it occurred to me that Jack resembled this piece of THICK
CMJ_Trans (X)
3 -1fine => all well and good.. acceptable..
airmailrpl


  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
very thin or slender


Explanation:
Random House

4th meaning of 18 for "fine" as an adjective

Along with the simile of the driftwood, which is described as "small," and the ability to keep someone afloat in spite of the apparent defect, leads me to believe this is the implied meaning here.

Mike :)

Michael Powers (PhD)
United States
Local time: 05:48
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 1174

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Daniel Mencher: "Fine" can mean thin or slender, but I find that this context is conversational, and that "fine" is being used as I described below. If it meant thin here, I believe the sentence would be constructed differently.
3 mins
agree  Henrik Brameus
5 hrs
disagree  NancyLynn: see Dan's comment
6 hrs
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4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +4
yes


Explanation:
Another way of saying this would be to replace "fine" with "yes".

It means that although the piece of driftwood is small and resentful, it would still keep him afloat. In other words, despite its small stature and resentful attitude, it would still perform a good function correctly.

Good luck!

-Dan

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-11-13 04:03:53 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

If you\'re speaking, the best word to use is \"yeah\". However, you shouldn\'t use this word when writing.

Daniel Mencher
United States
Local time: 05:48
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 19

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Kaori Myatt: or "Good"?
12 mins
  -> Well, actually, in this case I don't think that "good" can replace"fine/yes" in this context. It wouldn't be right.
agree  NancyLynn: yes, not good
6 hrs
  -> :)
agree  sarahl (X): or okay
19 hrs
  -> eeeehhhh, I'm not sure about "okay" in this one.......it seems like it should be right, but when I say it, it doesn't really sound right
agree  chica nueva: OK/I allow/grant you/mind you/mark you - (+ the punctuation should be a dash for the pause, not a hyphen)
21 hrs
  -> As it happens, these expressions are rarely used in writing, let alone in every day speech (the sentence structure makes me certain that this was spoken, in a conversation, play, dialogue, etc.).
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5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): -2
not thick..


Explanation:
fine-but he'd kept me afloat...

airmailrpl
Brazil
Local time: 06:48
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 1195

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Daniel Mencher: See my comments to Mike above
1 min
  -> fine => all well and good.. acceptable..
disagree  NancyLynn: see Dan's comment
6 hrs
  -> let the asker sort it out!!
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16 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +7
sure


Explanation:
as in "granted, alright, maybe" - this usage is common in the north-east of Scotland and probably other places as well

Gordon Darroch (X)
Local time: 10:48
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Daniel Mencher: "Sure" works. "Granted" or "alright" might, but only if the speaker is trying to defend his point that it will keep him afloat from antithesis. "Maybe" only if it may not be true that it's small & resentful.
7 mins
  -> agreed - I only put the other words in to clarify the sense of "sure" rather than as alternatives
agree  Rajan Chopra
2 hrs
agree  melayujati
3 hrs
agree  Chris Rowson (X)
3 hrs
agree  Heidi Stone-Schaller: as in "admittedly"
3 hrs
agree  Andy Watkinson
6 hrs
agree  Empty Whiskey Glass
6 hrs
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21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -1
fine => all well and good.. acceptable..


Explanation:
if we use Dan's concept ..then 'yes' is not quite an adequate substitute

fine => all well and good.. acceptable.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 mins (2003-11-12 08:43:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

this piece of \'think\' dritftwood ..is \'think\' a part of the original text or a typo??

airmailrpl
Brazil
Local time: 06:48
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 1195

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Daniel Mencher: In the USA, we use "yes" in situations like this all of the time in conversation. And I have never heard anybody say "all well and good" or "acceptable" there. Usually, it's just "yeah", but since nobody writes quite so colloquially, I offered "yes".
6 mins
  -> now your suggestion makes more sense!!
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29 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
it's true


Explanation:
is another way to put this, which is a concession by the speaker; or an admission, if you like.

David Moore (X)
Local time: 11:48
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 876

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Daniel Mencher: Actually, I usually just hear "true", but "it's true" doesn't sound wrong to me either
13 hrs
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47 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
delicate


Explanation:
It seems that more context is needed. However, the narrator, poossibly a woman, is apaprently describing Jack's personality. There is an ennumeration of rather negative qualities in Jack's personality: he's stubborn or not easily infulenced (thick driftwood), resentful, and delicate. Being 'delicate' may not be something a woman looks for in a 'macho' man; therefore, another negative quality. However, in spite of all this, he keeps her afloat. That is, he may not be THE perfect man, but he is not that bad either. He is good enough to keep her going in. He is a good company after all.


    Oxford Advanced Dictionary
Carina Balbo
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:48
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  NancyLynn: I think it's much simpler than that
5 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
it occurred to me that Jack resembled this piece of THICK


Explanation:
driftwood, albeit a small resentful piece. Neverthless, small and resentful or not, he had kept me afloat.

Albiet = an old word that means "although be it that" = although perhaps only...."

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-11-12 10:03:00 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

ALBEIT = typo

CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 11:48
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 376

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Chris Rowson (X): I don´t think "think driftwood" is a typo, the phrase is created to indicate driftwood of the realm of thought ...
3 hrs
disagree  NancyLynn: too complex; the text is much simpler than that
5 hrs
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
true


Explanation:
just 'true' on its own would be the perfect synonym.

NancyLynn
Canada
Local time: 05:48
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 473

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Daniel Mencher: yes, I hear this often as well
7 hrs
  -> thanks!
agree  Chris Rowson (X)
1 day 11 hrs
  -> thanks!
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