AtD translation: brakebeam stiff

[David Morris]

On being a Stiff:  I think the word stiff mostly implies obligatory work,
making one walk stiffly, like a robot.

It doesn’t imply vagrancy, more like working poor.

David Morris

On Fri, Mar 5, 2021 at 2:25 PM Ian Livingston <igrlivingston at gmail.com>
wrote:

> I don’t see a side only a matter of nuance. Synecdoche  seems to be one
> P’s frequent devices. I’d guess that could be difficult in translation.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On Mar 5, 2021, at 11:17 AM, Mike Jing <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > 
> > That's certainly a possible interpretation, but I have to side with
> Jochen on this one. For one thing, a brakeman seems a bit too specific in
> this context, but that's just how I see it.
> >
> >
> >> On Thu, Mar 4, 2021 at 7:45 PM Ian Livingston <igrlivingston at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >> Except that a “working stiff”, or in this case, a brakebeam stiff is
> not necessarily a down and outer, though he may or may not be down or in
> his game at any given time and circumstance. It’s an identity thing. A
> working stiff identifies as a working person, so a brakebeam stiff would
> respond to the question, “What do you do?” by saying “I’m a brakeman”
> whether he’s employed or not.
> >>
> >> Sent from my iPhone
> >>
> >>>> On Mar 4, 2021, at 4:23 PM, Mike Jing <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>> 
> >>> I think that makes sense, "stiff" here meaning tramp. Thanks, Jochen.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> On Sun, Feb 28, 2021 at 3:36 AM Jochen Stremmel <jstremmel at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >>>> I don't think a brakeman fits into this context of vagrant,
> down-and-outer, helpless looking citizen – rather a fellow riding the rods,
> like Leon, Ian's namesake, who obviously rode a wooden brake beam once.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> --
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>