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November 8

Dialog doubt from Sling Blade

Freddy: You ain't drunk driving, are you, Doyle?
Doyle: Yeah, pretty much.
Freddy: I figured.

What does "pretty much" mean? That means Doyle is drunk driving? Rizosome (talk) 06:27, 8 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Pretty much, yes. He is pretty much drunk. That is, not necessarily outright drunk, but at least most of the way there. 2602:24A:DE47:B8E0:1B43:29FD:A863:33CA (talk) 06:56, 8 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Taken literally, "pretty much" doesn't make sense; it means something like "more or less" or "yes, a bit". 2603:6081:1C00:1187:4408:191C:CDE5:9ADF (talk) 07:09, 8 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]

See also Wiktionary:pretty much (hint - it might be a lot quicker to look there first, rather than typing out a question here). Alansplodge (talk) 11:18, 8 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Before line contains "ain't" which caused me confused. Rizosome (talk) 15:16, 8 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]

In many non-standard dialects of English (i.e. the varieties you learn from your environment rather than in school classes), a very common figure of speech is to use the negative to mean the positive. In the example above, "You ain't drunk driving, are you?" is a colloquial way of asking "Are you drunk driving?" It is understood that the person asking the question is asserting that their interlocutor is indeed drunk driving. In this case "pretty much" is a colloquial way of affirming the suspicion. In "standard English", the conversation would have gone Freddy: "Are you drunk driving?" Doyle: "Yes, I am." Freddy: "I thought so." --Jayron 32 17:01, 8 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Note that the question itself is "Are you?" and is already in the positive.

I'll note that the question and answer could have two different shades of meaning. The simple present tense in the question could aither be asking about Doyle's current action or about his habitual action. Which one is intended should be obvious when watching the movie, but I haven't seen it. In the first case "pretty much" would be saying that he was "pretty much drunk" (nearly completely drunk) while driving just now, but in the second case it could mean that he is drunk pretty much (nearly) all the time when he's driving. --184.145.50.17 (talk) 19:24, 8 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Resolved

Serial Kiler Films

Ref desk troll

The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.

Did Anyone see Film begins W/ Hotel Room Waiter brings Food to Room, but Waiter kils Husband & Wife, so Rest of Film is about Cops tracking Down Serial Kiler?(Aarzoo19921999 (talk) 17:38, 8 November 2021 (UTC)).[reply]

I'm not aware of any films, about him, but Maury Travis was a real murderer who fits your description. --Jayron 32 17:52, 8 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Film begins W/ woman Crying so Flashback begins With Husband & Wife checking Into hotel.

After wife Goes to Bathroom mayb, Husband givs $ to Waiter.

Husband did Not expect Waiter to B dangerous so Waiter kils Husband & Wife.

Male Cop & Femal Cop becom Partners to Find Serial Kiler. Kiler is White Guy.

Later its Revealed dat Kiler is Actualy Woman disguising Herself as Guy. Kiler also Kils [Some Guy & his Girlfriend] in Woods.

Cops suspect some Famous Writer Guy. Famous Writer's wife Turns out To b Kiler. Male Cop & Kiler shoot Each other.

After Funeral, Flashback ends So Female Cop goes To writer's House, but I canot Remember y Did Writer atack Female Cop.

Female Cop kils Writer in Self-Defens. The End. Sound Familiar this Is Probably from 2000?(Aarzoo19921999 (talk) 19:48, 8 November 2021 (UTC)).[reply]