DirePenguin Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 “Will would not have given an iron bob for the lordling's life if Gared pulled it(his sword) from it's scabbard”I'm re-reading the first book at the moment trying to understand as much I can. I really don't understand what iron bob is? Is it some kind of idiom? To give a bob for something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zmflavius Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 Basically, he's saying that "he wouldn't bet on the lordling if Gared attacked him." An iron bob, I would assume, is a useless hunk of pig iron, which is to say, he wouldn't bet anything on Waymar outfighting Gared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirePenguin Posted September 14, 2011 Author Share Posted September 14, 2011 that makes perfect sense... Thanks :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeirophantX Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 A "bob" is Brit slang for a shilling or 5-pence. So an "iron bob" would be the same as an American "wooden nickel," a coin of no worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahlrokhin Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 Ah. Thanks fellas. I just kept on reading after I read that part and didn't give much thought to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padib Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 A "bob" is Brit slang for a shilling or 5-pence. So an "iron bob" would be the same as an American "wooden nickel," a coin of no worth. That makes sense. I personally would read it as the expression "He wouldn't a fig", meaning that Will wouldn't care if Royce was killed by Gared right there and then, given the situation, honor or not. I found this on another forum to show the age of the expression "I don't give a...". As for the age of the expression (give a damn), it is not recent, from the OED:1895 J. L. WILLIAMS Princeton Stories 165, I don't give a damn for the girl.In English, you can pretty well put what you want after "I don't give a" and the sense will be clear. From the very vulgar "I don't give a flying fuck!" to the more polite (though only because it is more obscure) "I don't give a fig!" You can be a bit creative with it, it is up to you. I don't give a poodle fart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.