lines they try to feed

English translation: what they would have you believe

14:14 Apr 14, 2005

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature

English term or phrase: lines they try to feed

Desires I’m divvying up
Instead of living it up
I’m willing to starve to win
You got to be hungry to be a champion
Anna ain’t no amateur
Anna is pro
So much so
That even the lines they try to feed me are hard to swallow

This is a part from a song
Many thanks

Waleed Mohamed KudoZ activity Questions: 476 (5 open) (2 without valid answers) (16 closed without grading) Answers: 576 United Arab Emirates
Local time: 05:06

Selected answer:what they would have you believe

Explanation:
this is an idiom in English. In a figurative sense, when you 'try to feed' someone something, you are attempting to get to believe something that is probably not the entire truth.

Selected response from:

Buck
Netherlands
Local time: 03:06

Grading comment

Thank you all
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

4 +12

what they would have you believe

Buck

(some elaboration)

Abu Amaal (X)

Answers

15 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +12

what they would have you believe

Explanation:
this is an idiom in English. In a figurative sense, when you 'try to feed' someone something, you are attempting to get to believe something that is probably not the entire truth.

Buck
Netherlands
Local time: 03:06
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

Thank you all

1 day 10 hrs confidence:

(some elaboration)

Explanation:
To "swallow a line" (fishing metaphor) is to believe a not very
convincing story or argument. The key line of the song is #4: the
conceit hunger = ambition is a standard one, but here it spins off
into imagery of actual starvation.
Someone so anorexic they can't even "swallow a line".

"they" = "the man" (which may need further explanation ...)

This all puts me in mind of Knut Hamsun's book "Hunger".
Extreme in its own way, but considerably more literal.

Abu Amaal (X)
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 4

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