Classics Retold

A wall bounded the site of Casterbridge Union House. A long portion of the site was unwalled at the end. Here stood a gable, and it was covered by ivy, and a small door stood beyond the expanse of dark green leaves. The sill of the door was three or four feet above the ground. The ruts on the ground beneath indicated that the door was meant for vehicles carrying goods and passengers; it was not for pedestrians.  The entry and exit by the door was only at rare intervals: tufts of grass were growing undisturbed in the chinks of the sill. The clock on the tower of St George's Church pointed at three minutes to three, and a blue spring wagon, picked out with red [1] containing boughs and flowers turned from the highroad and halted on this side of the gable.  The chimes were yet stammering out a shattered form of Malbrook [2]; Joseph Poorgrass rang the bell, and received direction to back his wagon against the high door under the gable. The door then opened, and a plain elm coffin ...

In Chapter 42 of Far From The Madding Crowd, the phrase "I am a stanch Church of England" is a dialogue rendered by Jan Coggan.  Here:  Stanch is an archaic form of staunch, meaning firm, loyal, steadfast or strongly devoted. Church of England is Anglican church.  The speaker means that I am a firm and loyal supporter or the member of the Church of England.  Hardy's folk characters often speak with exaggerated seriousness about religion while sitting in taverns drinking ale or gossiping.  The religious identity is more cultural and social than theological. The conversations also reflect village pride, and attachment local traditions. 

Chapter 42 of Far From The Madding Crowd byThomas Hardy. Context: Joseph Poorgrass in Buck's Head inn, enjoying a mug of ale with his neighbours Jan Coggan and Mark Clark.  Poorgrass is entrusted with the coffin of Fanny Robin, and during his tedious journey in the wagon, he takes a break.  "Have gone to dogs -- upon my carcass" aired by Mark Clark is part of a rustic emotional dialogue typical of Hardy's farm folks. "Have gone to dogs"  This is an old English idiom meaning to deteriorate, to be ruined, or to fall into disarray or misery. Mark Clark means that life or circumstances have become very bad. "Upon my carcass"  Here it means not a dead body. Its meaning is "upon my soul" or "on my life" or "I swear it" The combined meaning of the phrase is: "Things have completely gone wrong, I swear they have."  The speech pattern reflects Hardy's Wessex folks' dramatic, earthy, and humourous even in distr...

Whop and slop are two entirely different words but when they are used together it means doing a messy, sloppy job or carelessly dishing something out, throwing things clumsily around.  They are used together in casual English as a rhyming phrase.  Example: He just threw the books on the table with a quick whop and slop. It may also mean rough, noisy, careless eating. Whop: To hit, strike, or defeat someone or something with a lot of force.  It can also mean to do something quickly and violently. It is often used informally in sports or rough physical contexts.  Example: The team completely whopped their opponents in the championship. Spill: • To splash liquid over the edge of a container. Example: Be careful!  Don't spill your coffee on the floor. • It also means unappetising, watery or low quality food. It is also used as a slang to refer to low quality digital content. In Chapter 42 of the Far From The Madding Crowd, The phrase means to work energetically....

Context: Buck's Head Inn, in Chapter 42 of Far From The Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy. Joseph Poorgrass has been carrying the coffin of Fanny Robin in a wagon, and he stops the wagon before Buck's Head inn, enters it for a mug of ale. There he meets his neighbours Jan Coggan and Mark Clark at a round table enjoying liquor.  The present dialogue is taken from their conversation. "Horned man in the smoky house" is a rustic proverbial expression used by farm folks in their dialect. A horned man means a cuckold - a husband whose wife has been unfaithful.  In old European folklore and local dialect horns means sexual betrayal.  To wear horns means publicly shamed by wife's infidelity. The smoke house is a poor, dark, uncomfortable cottage, leading to confusion, misery, or unhappiness. The phrase reflects villagers earthy humour through proverbs drawing images. The idiom shows the nineteenth century tradition of Wessex.  It warns a man against the infidelity of his part...

In Chapter 42 of the Far From The Madding Crowd the expression that "Everything goes on like sticks a-breaking" is a rustic idiom used by Mark Clark to Joseph Poorgrass when the latter meets the former and Jan Coggan. All of them are neighbours and Joseph Poorgrass has been carrying the coffin of Fanny Robin back to Weatherbury. On the way he enters Buck Head inn for a mug of ale. It means:  Things are collapsing, falling apart or going wrong. The image behind the phrase is that of dry sticks snapping one after another -- quickly and disorderly.  Hardy often gives his rural charecters vivid speech drawn from rustic dialogue. The phrase reflects the events at the household and farm of Bathsheba Everdene, where the death of Fanny Robin exposes her relationship with sergeant Troy.  Life, order, and happiness of Bathsheba Everdene and her home seem to be breaking apart. The tone is similar to saying "Everything is going to pieces" or "things are falling apart....