GR: "come sashaying in as"

[Bekah]

On Oct 19, 2008, at 7:11 AM, János Székely wrote:
> In the execution/mandrake scene (GR Pt 4, Ch 1, 625.) the grammar  
> being rather convoluted:
>
> ... this one, dreaming at the last instant of who can say what  
> lifted smock, what fat-haunched gnädige Frau Death may have come  
> sashaying in as, gets an erection etc...
>
> come sashaying in as what?



Gads, I'll bet that would be difficult for a non-native English  
speaker to make sense of - I teach second language learners - .    
(And even a sophisticated English speaker might have problems with  
that one.)

The meaning is that it's really a question wondering what Frau Death  
will look like, what form,  what mask or costume (smock),  what  
persona she will take,  when she comes sashaying in.   (ie - re a  
hypothetical Halloween party,   "Who knows what I'll go sashaying in  
as.")


Slothrop is day-dreaming about old hangings and drifting off   -" ...  
who can say what (adjectives) Frau Death may have come sashaying in  
as ... "   - who knows what kind of smock that fat Frau Death may  
have been wearing when she came sashaying in...  and then back to  
Slothrop  ... "gets an erection."

Hope this helps,
Bekah


>
>
> János