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Thread: "...and I don't care who knows it." (Doyle, The sign of the four)

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    Почтенный гражданин Inego's Avatar
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    "...and I don't care who knows it." (Doyle, The sign of the four)

    In "The Sign of the Four" by A. Conan Doyle (1890), Athelney Jones, a police officer, speaks about Sherlock Holmes:

    "Your friend Mr. Sherlock Holmes is a wonderful man, sir," said he, in a husky and confidential voice. "He's a man who is not to be beat. I have known that young man go into a good many cases, but I never saw the case yet that he could not throw a light upon. He is irregular in his methods, and a little quick perhaps in jumping at theories, but, on the whole, I think he would have made a most promising officer, and I don't care who knows it."

    Could anyone explain the meaning of "...and I don't care who knows it", please?

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    Завсегдатай sperk's Avatar
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    Apparently, he is saying he doesn't care who knows that he thinks SH would have made a promising officer. Perhaps there are people who are not likely to agree with his positive opinion of SH.
    Кому - нары, кому - Канары.

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    Почтенный гражданин Inego's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sperk View Post
    ...he doesn't care who knows
    Here "knows" means "gets to know" or "learns", right?

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    Завсегдатай sperk's Avatar
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    Yes, he doesn't care who finds out or learns what his opinion of SH is. BTW, get to know is used with people, not facts: I got to know John very well last summer.
    Yulia65 likes this.
    Кому - нары, кому - Канары.

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    Почтенный гражданин Inego's Avatar
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    Thank you very much for your explanations (about "getting to know" as well)!

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