Thread: Need help with a few idioms

What do these phrases mean, and how would you translate them into Russian? It's from the movie "Meet Joe Black".

smell the thorns
be out of [s:sem3ybky]the[/s:sem3ybky] line
to be taking somebody from pillar to post
to know chapter and verse about smth.
to let the chips fall where they may

Maybe you should start a thread similar to Оля’s "The Search For John Gissing” and we’ll all have some fun instead of plunging into pointless political debates about who is nobler, stronger and more democratic.
smell the thorns
be out of the line
to be taking somebody from pillar to post
to know chapter and verse about smth.
to let the chips fall where they may
My guesses without looking it up:
Чувствовать опасность (Увлечься чем-то, ощущая при этом скрытую опасность)
Выходить за рамки
Похоже на «из огня да в полымя» (какая разница как тебя сожгут - привязанным к столбу или к колонне)
Знать до тонкостей (вплоть до номера главы и стиха в библии)
Оставить всё как есть

Yeah, but there's a script for this movie already
http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Meet-Joe-Black.html

And close captions on TV

Originally Posted by alexB

Maybe you should start a thread similar to Оля’s "The Search For John Gissing” and we’ll all have some fun

I obviously can't help with the Russian part... however, I did pull up a copy of the script http://www.awesomefilm.com/script/meetjoeblack.txt and have found what I believe are the sections our beloved Master Admin was referring to and have pasted them along with my two cents for the English meanings... one of you talented Russian speaking folks are going to have to make the jump to light speed for me.

to be taking somebody from pillar to post

PARRISH (cont'd)
Everybody wants something, Joe.
You've been taking me from pillar
to post here. I thought I knew who
you were, and it wasn't a whole lot
of fun, however it was almost bear-
able. Now I'm getting something
else from you, something very, very
strange -- what is it that you want,
Joe?

---- end dialogue

Pillar to post, means to be taken from one place to another for seemingly no end purpose. Usually against your will or better judgment, in a fruitless manner. There is a very good article about it here http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-pil1.htm

be out of the line

DREW
Daddy'll do fine. Besides, he's got
Joe.

(a moment)
And so do you.

SUSAN
Drew, you're out of line.

---- end dialogue

When Susan says to Drew, “you are out of line,” she is telling him that he said something that he had no right to say as in it was not his place to comment. It was inappropriate. Most likely the second part, “And so do you” was what she was referring to.

smell the thorns

DREW (cont'd)
(to Quince)
Wake up and smell the thorns.


---- end dialogue

Based upon the dialogue... “Wake up and smell the thorns.” – would be a play on the phrase, “Wake up and smell the coffee.”

to know chapter and verse about smith.

SUSAN
C'mon! The guy's working with you.
You always know chapter and verse
about everyone who works --

---- end dialogue

This expression is based upon the Bible or scripture being in the format of Chapter and then verse. So, it means that if you know someone or something very well, very detailed...then you know that person or topic, “chapter and verse.”

to let the chips fall where they may

PARRISH
... I don't know what you're
going to do -- how can this be love?
She doesn't know who you are. Why
don't you tell her? Try it out on
her? See what happens. Reveal
everything there is to know about
yourself and let the chips fall
where they may.

---- end dialogue

This expression means that you should do whatever it is you need to do and not worry about the little things or the consequences.

"This metaphoric term alludes to chopping wood and is usually joined to a statement that one should do what is right (that is, the woodcutter should pay attention to the main task of cutting logs and not worry about small chips). [Late 1800s]" http://www.answers.com/topic/let-the...where-they-may

Thank you very much! The explanations are very good.

I also like the islands accent that Joe assumes at certain point in the movie. He says things like "I nuttin' to do wi' dat" and "Obeah evil. I not evil."
Is there something I should know about this manner of speaking English? What islands? And why are they speaking like that on the islands?

Originally Posted by MasterAdmin

Is there something I should know about this manner of speaking English? What islands? And why are they speaking like that on the islands?

According to the script, it is to be a "lilting West Indian dialect" which would translate into a Caribbean or Jamaican accent. If you have any difficulty understanding it, let me know.

From the script....

Teena shakes her hand anxiously.
Joe leans forward to Easter and speaks softly in perfect, lilting West Indian dialect.

JOE
No obeah, sister. No duppy, no
jumbie. Evera ting gon' be irey.

Susan and Teena both look at him, astonished. Easter's
fearful gaze remains locked on him.

JOE (cont'd)
(to Teena)
Go wi' de doctor lady. Momma be
fine.

EASTER
Don' leave!?

TEENA
(pleading)
Momma.

Susan leads Teena away. Easter is riveted on Joe.

EASTER
(with certainty)
Obeah.

JOE
Obeah evil. I not evil.

EASTER
What you then?

JOE
I from dat nex' place.

EASTER
You wait here'n to take us? Like
you bus driver to dere?