Dec 25, 2012 12:51
11 yrs ago
English term
bed in common
English
Other
Poetry & Literature
When serenely advancing on one of these journeys, if any strange suspicious sights are seen, my lord whale keeps a wary eye on his interesting family. Should any unwarrantably pert young Leviathan coming that way, presume to draw confidentially close to one of the ladies, with what prodigious fury the Bashaw assails him, and chases him away! High times, indeed, if unprincipled young rakes like him are to be permitted to invade the sanctity of domestic bliss; though do what the Bashaw will, he cannot keep the most notorious Lothario out of his bed; for, alas! all fish --------------------bed in common. --------------------As ashore, the ladies often cause the most terrible duels among their rival admirers; just so with the whales, who sometimes come to deadly battle, and all for love. They fence with their long lower jaws, sometimes locking them together, and so striving for the supremacy like elks that warringly interweave their antlers. Not a few are captured having the deep scars of these encounters,—furrowed heads, broken teeth, scolloped fins; and in some instances, wrenched and dislocated mouths.
Thank you!
Thank you!
Change log
Dec 25, 2012 12:51: changed "Kudoz queue" from "In queue" to "Public"
Responses
+2
22 mins
Charles Davis
Spain
Spain
Native in English
&
English
Specializes in field
Spain
Related KudoZ points
:
236
Selected
share the same bed (that is, the sea)
I think the idea is that unlike a human husband, who can keep a rival male away from his wife by shutting his house, a whale shares the same environment with all other whales, with no physical barriers, and it is therefore impossible to prevent a rival from approaching; all the whale can do is chase him away. So although to bed can mean to mate or have sex with someone (to go to bed with someone), I think here it simply means that all whales share the same bedroom.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 46 mins (2012-12-25 13:37:08 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
It would be more accurate to say that all fish share the same bedroom, or that they go to bed in the same (common) space.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 46 mins (2012-12-25 13:37:08 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
It would be more accurate to say that all fish share the same bedroom, or that they go to bed in the same (common) space.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
5 hrs
sea's bed OR seabed
"all fish share the sea's bed" or "all fish share the seabed"
This adds a pun / double meaning (seabed=the floor/bottom of the sea) I'm not sure if it's nicely poetic or terribly cheesey, but it occurred to me so I thought I'd share it!
Best,
V
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 hrs (2012-12-25 18:15:13 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
P.S. Sorry, the subject line should have read "share the sea's bed" or "share the seabed"
This adds a pun / double meaning (seabed=the floor/bottom of the sea) I'm not sure if it's nicely poetic or terribly cheesey, but it occurred to me so I thought I'd share it!
Best,
V
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 hrs (2012-12-25 18:15:13 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
P.S. Sorry, the subject line should have read "share the sea's bed" or "share the seabed"
20 hrs
are promiscuous
The (archaic) verb "to bed" means to have sex with (not necessarily in a bed). To put it in modern English, he is saying that fish are promiscuous.
2 mins
Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Ireland
Native in English
&
English
Specializes in field
Ireland
right word, right place. everytime
Native in: English (Variants: Irish, UK, US, Canadian) 
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
317
mate
whales, who sometimes come to deadly battle, and all for love.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 mins (2012-12-25 12:56:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
it means that unlike some animals that form partnerships or have mates for life, that these whales will mate any chance they get. So, a young "Lothario" or lover will try to mate with whatever female is available so cashesoccur between the male whales like amongst stags
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 mins (2012-12-25 12:56:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Happy Christmas!
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 33 mins (2012-12-25 13:24:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
typo: Clashes occur
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day1 hr (2012-12-26 14:47:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
After all, no animals have "bedrooms" (including the elks he mentions and their battles over "love") so I still believe this means
to bed=to mate any chance (at every opportunity) they get (as BDF puts it, they are promiscuous). The reference to "Lotharios supports this view
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day1 hr (2012-12-26 14:48:54 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
to "mate" is a polite way of saying fornicate/have sex with or the other 4 letter word
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 mins (2012-12-25 12:56:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
it means that unlike some animals that form partnerships or have mates for life, that these whales will mate any chance they get. So, a young "Lothario" or lover will try to mate with whatever female is available so cashesoccur between the male whales like amongst stags
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 mins (2012-12-25 12:56:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Happy Christmas!
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 33 mins (2012-12-25 13:24:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
typo: Clashes occur
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day1 hr (2012-12-26 14:47:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
After all, no animals have "bedrooms" (including the elks he mentions and their battles over "love") so I still believe this means
to bed=to mate any chance (at every opportunity) they get (as BDF puts it, they are promiscuous). The reference to "Lotharios supports this view
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day1 hr (2012-12-26 14:48:54 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
to "mate" is a polite way of saying fornicate/have sex with or the other 4 letter word
Something went wrong...