If he had the still

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
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@Andrea, what do you think of the following phrase from the movie ‘A simple plan’?

‘If he had the still like we got goin’ right now, you know? He would have done the same thing’.

What does ‘the still’ mean here?

Many thanks,
Torsten

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Hi @Torsten,

This is the first time I’ve seen ‘the still’ in a sentence like this.

I would think that “still” means either:

  • not moving or making a sound
  • deep silence and calm
  • static photograph
  • up to and including the present or the time mentioned
  • nevertheless; all the same
  • make or become still; quieten

Perhaps “the still” is maybe calm and quiet.

Example:

the still of the night/evening = the calm and quiet of the night

What do you think?

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Quite frankly? I’m lost because the phrase doesn’t make any sense in the given context. “The still” must mean something like ‘a good thing’ in the given context. Weird…

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I also find it very unusual and odd. I would have to watch the movie to see exactly what happens. It does make one think :thinking:

You might be right about ‘a good thing’.

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Well, if it helps, here is part of the transcript:

HEY, HOW ABOUT SOME MORE WINE?

YOU GOT A FULL GLASS HERE.

WHAT’S IT LIKE, A WALKIE-TALKIE, SARAH,

KIND OF LIKE A BABY WALKIE-TALKIE?

YEAH, YEAH. IT’S KINDA COOL.

REMEMBER, WE HAD THAT THING WE DID

WITH THEM LITTLE WALKIE-TALKIES?

OH, YEAH.

YOU GOT THAT KIT FOR CHRISTMAS.

REMEMBER THAT?

YEAH.

YEAH.

YOU KNOW, IT’S WEIRD.

I THINK–I THINK ABOUT THAT STUFF.

I THINK IT’S KINDA WEIRD–

YOU REMEMBER EVERYTHING, TOO, DON’T YOU?

WELL, YEAH. I WAS ALWAYS–

I WAS ALWAYS TALKING TO DAD.

I KNOW YOU WERE.

I WAS ALWAYS FIGURING OUT WHAT’S GOING ON, YOU KNOW?

I WAS ALWAYS NERVOUS ABOUT SHIT, YOU KNOW, I GUESS.

BUT I TELL YOU WHAT, HE’S A…

IF HE–IF HE HAD THE STILL

LIKE WE GOT GOIN’ ON

RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW?

HE WOULD–HE WOULD–HE

WOULD HAVE DONE THE SAME THING.

I DON’T KNOW,

I DON’T KNOW.

I GUESS SO.

I MEAN, 'CAUSE

THAT’S WHAT HE–

HE ALWAYS WANTED TO GET

EVERYTHING SET UP, YOU KNOW.

I MEAN, HE ALWAYS

WANTED TO HAVE ENOUGH

TO JUST TAKE CARE OF THINGS

AND RELAX, YOU KNOW.

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An idea…isn’t it possibly to do with alcohol?

A still is an apparatus used to distill liquid mixtures by heating to selectively boil and then cooling to condense the vapor. A still uses the same concepts as a basic distillation apparatus, but on a much larger scale.

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Bingo. That would make sense especially since their father was an alcoholic as far as I remember. Many thanks for spending your time on this!

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You’re welcome :wink: :+1:

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