How to understand the use of “to” in “rolling up the magazine to continued gales of laughter from the...
... Harry could feel his face burning. Snape was pausing at the end of every sentence to allow the Slytherins a hearty laugh. The article sounded ten times worse when read by Snape. Even Hermione was blushing scarlet now.
“'…Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows
his heart upon a worthier candidate.’ How very touching,” sneered
Snape, rolling up the magazine to continued gales of laughter from the
Slytherins. “Well, I think I had better separate the three of you, so
you can keep your minds on your potions rather than on your tangled
love lives. ...
I don't quite understand the part in bold above. It might be because the use of 'to' is confusing. "rolling up the magazine to" doesn't seem to make much sense to me. How should we understand it?
meaning-in-context prepositions phrase-meaning
asked 3 hours ago
dan
4,34622565
add a comment |
... Harry could feel his face burning. Snape was pausing at the end of every sentence to allow the Slytherins a hearty laugh. The article sounded ten times worse when read by Snape. Even Hermione was blushing scarlet now.
“'…Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows
his heart upon a worthier candidate.’ How very touching,” sneered
Snape, rolling up the magazine to continued gales of laughter from the
Slytherins. “Well, I think I had better separate the three of you, so
you can keep your minds on your potions rather than on your tangled
love lives. ...
I don't quite understand the part in bold above. It might be because the use of 'to' is confusing. "rolling up the magazine to" doesn't seem to make much sense to me. How should we understand it?
meaning-in-context prepositions phrase-meaning
asked 3 hours ago
dan
4,34622565
add a comment |
... Harry could feel his face burning. Snape was pausing at the end of every sentence to allow the Slytherins a hearty laugh. The article sounded ten times worse when read by Snape. Even Hermione was blushing scarlet now.
“'…Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows
his heart upon a worthier candidate.’ How very touching,” sneered
Snape, rolling up the magazine to continued gales of laughter from the
Slytherins. “Well, I think I had better separate the three of you, so
you can keep your minds on your potions rather than on your tangled
love lives. ...
I don't quite understand the part in bold above. It might be because the use of 'to' is confusing. "rolling up the magazine to" doesn't seem to make much sense to me. How should we understand it?
meaning-in-context prepositions phrase-meaning
asked 3 hours ago
dan
4,34622565
... Harry could feel his face burning. Snape was pausing at the end of every sentence to allow the Slytherins a hearty laugh. The article sounded ten times worse when read by Snape. Even Hermione was blushing scarlet now.
“'…Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows
his heart upon a worthier candidate.’ How very touching,” sneered
Snape, rolling up the magazine to continued gales of laughter from the
Slytherins. “Well, I think I had better separate the three of you, so
you can keep your minds on your potions rather than on your tangled
love lives. ...
I don't quite understand the part in bold above. It might be because the use of 'to' is confusing. "rolling up the magazine to" doesn't seem to make much sense to me. How should we understand it?
meaning-in-context prepositions phrase-meaning
meaning-in-context prepositions phrase-meaning
asked 3 hours ago
dan
4,34622565
asked 3 hours ago
dan
4,34622565
edited 39 mins ago
asked 3 hours ago
dan
4,34622565
asked 3 hours ago
dan
4,34622565
asked 3 hours ago
dan
4,34622565
4,34622565
add a comment |
add a comment |
1 Answer
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The usual expression is along the lines of “sing along/tap your foot/dance/etc. to the sound of music”. It means that you’re doing something so that it matches up with the music in rhythm and (if applicable) pitch.
In the same way, Snape rolling up the magazine appeared to mesh with people laughing. It’s more literary than something with a more specific meaning here.
Interestingly enough the OED defines the expression more broadly as “To the accompaniment of; as an accompaniment to” and groups in an expression that’s probably obsolete: “to ride to hounds”, which was used when people followed hounds on horseback as they tracked something.
answered 2 hours ago
Laurel
4,71811127
3
I would not say there is any element of Snape rolling up the magazine along with the rhythm of the laughter. For me it just means at the same time as the Slytherins were laughing.
– Sarriesfan
1 hour ago
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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1 Answer
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The usual expression is along the lines of “sing along/tap your foot/dance/etc. to the sound of music”. It means that you’re doing something so that it matches up with the music in rhythm and (if applicable) pitch.
In the same way, Snape rolling up the magazine appeared to mesh with people laughing. It’s more literary than something with a more specific meaning here.
Interestingly enough the OED defines the expression more broadly as “To the accompaniment of; as an accompaniment to” and groups in an expression that’s probably obsolete: “to ride to hounds”, which was used when people followed hounds on horseback as they tracked something.
answered 2 hours ago
Laurel
4,71811127
3
I would not say there is any element of Snape rolling up the magazine along with the rhythm of the laughter. For me it just means at the same time as the Slytherins were laughing.
– Sarriesfan
1 hour ago
add a comment |
The usual expression is along the lines of “sing along/tap your foot/dance/etc. to the sound of music”. It means that you’re doing something so that it matches up with the music in rhythm and (if applicable) pitch.
In the same way, Snape rolling up the magazine appeared to mesh with people laughing. It’s more literary than something with a more specific meaning here.
Interestingly enough the OED defines the expression more broadly as “To the accompaniment of; as an accompaniment to” and groups in an expression that’s probably obsolete: “to ride to hounds”, which was used when people followed hounds on horseback as they tracked something.
answered 2 hours ago
Laurel
4,71811127
3
I would not say there is any element of Snape rolling up the magazine along with the rhythm of the laughter. For me it just means at the same time as the Slytherins were laughing.
– Sarriesfan
1 hour ago
add a comment |
The usual expression is along the lines of “sing along/tap your foot/dance/etc. to the sound of music”. It means that you’re doing something so that it matches up with the music in rhythm and (if applicable) pitch.
In the same way, Snape rolling up the magazine appeared to mesh with people laughing. It’s more literary than something with a more specific meaning here.
Interestingly enough the OED defines the expression more broadly as “To the accompaniment of; as an accompaniment to” and groups in an expression that’s probably obsolete: “to ride to hounds”, which was used when people followed hounds on horseback as they tracked something.
answered 2 hours ago
Laurel
4,71811127
The usual expression is along the lines of “sing along/tap your foot/dance/etc. to the sound of music”. It means that you’re doing something so that it matches up with the music in rhythm and (if applicable) pitch.
In the same way, Snape rolling up the magazine appeared to mesh with people laughing. It’s more literary than something with a more specific meaning here.
Interestingly enough the OED defines the expression more broadly as “To the accompaniment of; as an accompaniment to” and groups in an expression that’s probably obsolete: “to ride to hounds”, which was used when people followed hounds on horseback as they tracked something.
answered 2 hours ago
Laurel
4,71811127
answered 2 hours ago
Laurel
4,71811127
answered 2 hours ago
Laurel
4,71811127
answered 2 hours ago
Laurel
4,71811127
4,71811127
3
I would not say there is any element of Snape rolling up the magazine along with the rhythm of the laughter. For me it just means at the same time as the Slytherins were laughing.
– Sarriesfan
1 hour ago
add a comment |
3
I would not say there is any element of Snape rolling up the magazine along with the rhythm of the laughter. For me it just means at the same time as the Slytherins were laughing.
– Sarriesfan
1 hour ago
3
3
I would not say there is any element of Snape rolling up the magazine along with the rhythm of the laughter. For me it just means at the same time as the Slytherins were laughing.
– Sarriesfan
1 hour ago
I would not say there is any element of Snape rolling up the magazine along with the rhythm of the laughter. For me it just means at the same time as the Slytherins were laughing.
– Sarriesfan
1 hour ago
add a comment |
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