Hi, All!

-----Beginning of the citation-----
Barnes arrived just after midnight, and he was a very
different sight from our first meeting. The Brooks
Brothers stuff had gone, and he now looked like he was
ready to head into the Nicaraguan jungle at the drop of
a bomb. Khaki trousers, dark-green twill shirt, Red
Wing boots. A military-looking watch with canvas strap
had taken the place of the dress Rolex. I had the
feeling that for two pins he'd have been in front of a
mirror, slapping camouflage paint on to his face. The
lines were deeper than ever.
----- The end of the citation -----

What did the author mean in "I had the feeling that for two pins he'd have been in front of a mirror, slapping camouflage paint on to his face."?

Bye, All!
Alexander Koryagin

---
* Origin: nntp://news.fidonet.fi (2:221/6.0)

Hi, Alexander -- on Dec 28 2020 at 09:25, you wrote:

What did the author mean in "I had the feeling that for two pins
he'd have been in front of a mirror, slapping camouflage paint on to
his face."?

If you've ever seen a war movie where the soldiers have faces painted in swirls and stripes (usually dark and light green) this is camoflauge paint. It's intended to prevent their faces from showing when they're in the jungle. They would be wearing similar coloured clothing, also. As a point of interest, they wear (and paint) white for use in heavy snow conditions!


Cheers... Dallas

--- timEd/NT 1.30+
* Origin: The BandMaster, Vancouver, CANADA (1:153/7715)

Hi, Dallas Hinton! -> Alexander Koryagin
I read your message from 28.12.2020 12:30

What did the author mean in "I had the feeling that for two
pins he'd have been in front of a mirror, slapping
camouflage paint on to his face."?

If you've ever seen a war movie where the soldiers have faces
painted in swirls and stripes (usually dark and light green)
this is camoflauge paint. It's intended to prevent their faces
from showing when they're in the jungle. They would be wearing
similar coloured clothing, also. As a point of interest, they
wear (and paint) white for use in heavy snow conditions!

But how can I connect it to "two pins"?

Bye, Dallas!
Alexander Koryagin
english_tutor 2020

---
* Origin: nntp://news.fidonet.fi (2:221/6.0)

But how can I connect it to "two pins"?

I had to google this one.

for two pins
At the slightest provocation; for the smallest reason.

Primarily heard in UK.
"I would cancel this party for two pins, but my husband has been looking forward to it all week."

Bob Roberts
--- SBBSecho 3.12-Linux
* Origin: Halls of Valhalla -=- Happy New Year (1:218/840)

Hi, Alexander! Recently you wrote in a message to All:

-----Beginning of the citation-----
Barnes arrived just after midnight, and he was a very
different sight from our first meeting. The Brooks
Brothers stuff had gone, and he now looked like he was
ready to head into the Nicaraguan jungle at the drop
of a bomb. Khaki trousers, dark-green twill shirt, Red
Wing boots. A military-looking watch with canvas strap
had taken the place of the dress Rolex. I had the
feeling that for two pins he'd have been in front of a
mirror, slapping camouflage paint on to his face. The
lines were deeper than ever.
----- The end of the citation -----

What did the author mean in "I had the feeling that for
two pins he'd have been in front of a mirror, slapping
camouflage paint on to his face."?

Language:

When native speakers in this part of the world say "for two pins I'd do xxx", it's an ironic/figurative expression meaning "It wouldn't take much to make me do xxx". Often the idea... although tempting... is rather impractical. I wouldn't seriously expect anybody to carry it out just because I offered them a couple of dressmaker's pins or safety pins I bought at the dollar store. :-Q



Literature:

This man appears to be meticulous about his personal appearance & to be in a socioeconomic category where it's routine to pay more for an oufit than a lot of other people earn in a year. At the office he dresses the part of the executive... when he's off duty he prefers a more sporty look, but it's just as well put together & almost as far beyond the average person's budget as what he wears in formal situations. If the writer associates this man's costume change with what actors do when they're playing a role it makes sense to me... [grin].




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)