Wandering Through Chapter 3 - More About Alcoholism
Chapter 3 - This sentence spans pages 37 - 38
chap, queer
"Up to this point you would label him as a foolish chap having queer ideas of fun."1
Big Book - More About Alcoholism - spans pages 37 - 38
In this sentence the word "chap" functions as a noun. The word "queer" functions as an adjective.2
The word "chap" is British slang for a man, boy, or fellow, and it can sometimes sound a bit upper-class or old-fashioned. It comes from the 16th-century word "chapman," which meant a trader or customer. Over time, "chap" changed from describing someone in trade to simply meaning a person. In the 1930s, Americans recognized "chap" as a British term, but they still understood it. Today in the US, similar casual terms would be "a good guy", meaning someone who is likable or dependable.
During the 1930s and earlier, the term queer referred to something strange, peculiar, or eccentric. During the 1950’s and 60’s, its meaning evolved into a derogatory slur for homosexuals or those seen as breaking gender norms, and this use was widely considered discriminatory. Today, its use continues to evolve: some LGBTQ+ groups have reclaimed the term with pride, while some older individuals, who experienced the word as a violent insult, still find it hurtful and discriminatory.
Definitions from Webster's 1930 edition.3
Chapter 3 - page 38
trolley car
"Within a week after leaving the hospital a fast-moving trolley car breaks his arm."1
Big Book - More About Alcoholism - page 38
In this sentence the phrase "trolley car" functions as a compound noun.2
A trolley car is an electric public transportation vehicle that runs on rails, typically in cities, powered by overhead electrical wires. Prior to the general availability of electricity they were horse-drawn.
Definition from Webster's 1930 edition.3
Corner of Pennsylvania Ave. and 15th Street, N.W., Washington, DC
Library of Congress - Harris & Ewing Photograph Collection
Public Domain based on Date 1913
wringer
"We, who have been through the wringer, have to admit if we substituted alcoholism for jay-walking, the illustration would fit exactly."
1
Big Book - More About Alcoholism - page 38
In this sentence the word wringer functions as a verb.2
It swallows up all whose lives touch the sufferer's.
Definitions from Webster's 1930 edition.3
WPA Collection - Creative Commons CC0 License
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Footnotes for page 30
1Quotes from the Big Book on listed on this page are from the public domain version, in the United States, of the 2nd edition of the book Alcoholics Anonymous. Accessible at 12step.org
2Sentence diagramming, to determine the word usage within the sentence, was performed by CoreNLP at corenlp.run.
3Definitions used are from the Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language 1930 Edition. Access to this dictionary online is at Hathitrust.org
4Wiktionary entry for jaywalking.
5from the Farlex Dictionary of Idioms
6"The Book That Started it All: The Original Working Manuscript of Alcoholics Anonymous" A Different Slant, from page 143.