‘All hell let loose’ originally means ‘a mess’, ‘chaos’ or something like that. Am I right? So, can I understand that ‘a huge noise’ is correct because of the context?
This particular test is in the form of a short story. So, the sentence prior to this test question is part of the context. And the sentence before this one was:
“She put her favourite CD on and turned it up full blast.”
If you turn up a stereo “full blast” that means you have made the sound as loud as possible. And on most stereos that’s so unbelievably loud that it seems all hell has broken loose.
Thank you all the time. Your explanation always helps me lift those confusions off my chest thoroughly.
By the way, I’d like to ask you another question if I may.
How can I understand the idiom ‘It is a long lane that has no turning’ by its literal meaning and make it into the meaning somewhere about ‘there will be a chance’?
This is neither an idiom nor a well-known saying – at least not in the US. I had to research it on Google. It appears to be a quote from something written by an English satirist named John Wolcot (pen name: Peter Pindar): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wolcot
Here is the full quote:
“Hope peeps from a cloud on our squad,
Whose beams have been long in deep mourning;
’Tis a lane, let me tell you, my lad,
Very long that has never a turning.”
Peter Pindar: Great Cry and Little Wool, epist. 1.
And the meaning: Every calamity has an ending. Bartleby
I think that you should simply imagine a road. All roads have turns along the way. It would be a very long road indeed that has no place to turn at all. In other words, there will always be a chance to turn somewhere on every road.
I think it means that there are no roads which are “unbroken” by intersections (turns). Therefore, it is always possible to “break” (end) the straight line (road) somewhere. A straight line that can never be “broken” has no end would therefore be an infinitely long line.
Michael, I’m simply trying to interpret what I understand. I didn’t write the sentence and, as I said, I don’t consider it to be either an idiom or a well-known saying. To me, it is simply a quote. What do you understand from the quote?
Rumour in English doesn’t have the additional meaning of noise or continuous low sound like ‘buzz’ or ‘murmur’ that it has in other languages, like Spanish, for example.
I’m not angry, just a bit frustrated because I don’t know how to explain the theoretical idea of an “infinitely long road” better than I have.
infinite = never-ending/without end
A road that has no end at all (infinite) would be an “extremely long” (infinite) road. Fortunately, there are no never-ending roads. All roads have ends and/or junctions where you can turn. If you turn off one road onto another, then you have finished traveling on the first road and are on a new road. The first road has ended for you.
What makes you think that the long lane that don?t have any turning/curve/bend is an infinite/endless one? I think, you just could see one if mankind would erect a lane along the equator. There wouldn?t be any turning or curve or bend. According to the geometrie the only infinite/endless lines/lanes is a circle or ellipse.
Hope that is a bit of Alan?s silver lining of every cloud!
That is simply my interpretation of what the author of the quote meant when he wrote “has no turning”. And that was why I compared it to an unbroken straight line.
No turning = no break in the line/lane = no end. 8)
If the road has some turns (as real roads normally do), then there is a chance for change and an end to traveling the first road.
I’m not speaking of any “real” never-ending road, Michael. It’s philosophical. The meaning of the quote that Haihao asked about (above) is figurative.
I think, I don?t need to pull your leg at any point and I?m surely not capable of argueing with you about the meaning of any English words.
But like you mentioned Haihao?s sentence is certainly a figurative/philosophical one. For me it might be a recommend from a proficient person to another not so proficient when the 2nd person tries to achieve a goal, aim or target. Something like this: To become a horseman is a hard work and a never ending process of learning (long lane). The straightest way to achieve this goal is to learn from your horse and not to listen to any false prophets (has no turning)! But if I think that trough the right way I could add: no matter how much you?ll learn you?ll never be perfect (no end). And then you?re right referring to an infinite lane.
And you?re right, too, when you say: It?s difficult to explain. :roll:
To me, your interpretation is more than convincible and reasonable. When I hit on this phrase yesterday, I really had no idea how to make it a sensible one. Your ‘there are no never-ending roads’ let the scales fell from my eyes. Now I can compare it with those long roads in US. They all seemed to me with no turns nor ends at first when I was on them (ex. Route 64 :o ). But they do have ends, to my great relief! In fact, no matter what they look like or how long they can be, as long as defined as roads, they are doomed to have turns and/or ends. So now I have come to see the original phrase to such an effect as: ‘Although the no-turning lane is a long one and seems to last forever, don’t worry, it will definitely end at last, so keep up!’ Also, I don’t believe there are any human-made roads without turns or ends either, except those reckless ones such as my endless road for better English.
Thank you again, Amy, for your endless and priceless help.
haihao
English Idioms and Expressions, Advanced Level
