Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Vocabulary
Holds stock full of rum
Hello,
In the book "Parrot and Olivier in America" (Peter Carey), I came across the following sentence:
"All around us everyone was the same - soldiers, convicts, even captains with their holds stock full of rum."
Context: Parrot describes his life in Australia (in a penal colony). In the previous context he says that the currency in Australia was in fact rum (which means that people drank a lot). I don't understand the phrasse "holds stock full of rum". Does the "holds stock" mean "a store room" in the lower deck, or is it something different, perhaps a stock room which is not on a ship?
Thank you for your answers.
In the book "Parrot and Olivier in America" (Peter Carey), I came across the following sentence:
"All around us everyone was the same - soldiers, convicts, even captains with their holds stock full of rum."
Context: Parrot describes his life in Australia (in a penal colony). In the previous context he says that the currency in Australia was in fact rum (which means that people drank a lot). I don't understand the phrasse "holds stock full of rum". Does the "holds stock" mean "a store room" in the lower deck, or is it something different, perhaps a stock room which is not on a ship?
Thank you for your answers.
Top answer
I am fairly sure the author is refering to the captains' stomachs. It is a metaphor comparing the captains' stomachs with their ships' holds. but evokes the image of them rolling around like a ship on a rough sea.....
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I am fairly sure the author is refering to the captains' stomachs. It is a metaphor comparing the captains' stomachs with their ships' holds.
It just means very drunk...but evokes the image of them rolling around like a ship on a rough sea.....
All the best.
It just means very drunk...but evokes the image of them rolling around like a ship on a rough sea.....
All the best.
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