Nov 9, 2011 15:46
12 yrs ago
English term
"nothing goads the pack like the scent of fear"
English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
I could hear the desperation in his voice, and if I could hear it, so could they. That was dangerous. Nothing goads a pack like the scent of fea.
Scene taking place in Mississippi where a KKK mob is about to lynch a black man.
Scene taking place in Mississippi where a KKK mob is about to lynch a black man.
Responses
References
| pack - of wolves |
meirs
|
Responses
+6
3 mins
Liz Dexter (was Broomfield)
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
&
English
Specializes in field
United Kingdom
Proofreading, editing & localisation
Native in: English (Variants: Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, British, UK, US)
Works in: English
Related KudoZ points
:
36
Selected
"nothing incites a pack of people such as a lynch mob as much as does the sense that their prey...
"nothing incites a pack of people such as a lynch mob as much as does the sense that their prey is afraid"
It's using a dog or wolf pack metaphor and works on the idea that a pack of dogs can smell fear in the person / prey they are pursuing.
So the lynch mob is excited and spurred on by the idea that their victim is afraid.
It's using a dog or wolf pack metaphor and works on the idea that a pack of dogs can smell fear in the person / prey they are pursuing.
So the lynch mob is excited and spurred on by the idea that their victim is afraid.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
+3
6 mins
nothing provokes a group of agressive people like the fear of a potential victim.
The writer is comparing a group of people (I assume racists here) with a pack of wolves. It is said that wolves and other wild animals become nervous and aggressive and are more apt to attack when they detect the "smell" of fear coming from a possible victim. A pack is a group.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Sheila Wilson
: However, my understanding is that although such groups were led by agressive racists, many in the group would never have done such a thing alone. They got drawn in and regret it afterwards.
6 mins
|
|
Thanks, Sheila. I believe that this is known as the "pack" mentality.
|
|
| agree |
eski
: Right on; Jenn : I think you nailed the correct meaning. Saludos, eski :))
51 mins
|
|
Cheers and thanks, eski.
|
|
| agree |
Jack Doughty
1 hr
|
|
Cheers and thanks, Jack.
|
4 hrs
"Nothing gets the red necks going like a scared black
This is SO awful.
Within OUR lifetime this happened.
Within OUR lifetime this happened.
Reference comments
10 mins
Reference:
pack - of wolves
like a school of fish and herd of horses - special EN names for groups of particular kinds of animals
Something went wrong...