SHIP: Banter and other SHIP subjects

[Erica <cymru1ca@yahoo.ca>]

No: HPFGUIDX 50944

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "serenadust <jmmears at c...>" 
<jmmears at c...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Falcon" <falcon21 at f...> 
wrote:
> 
> 
>  On a separate note, I did discover in GoF that Harry is no longer 
> short, but rather he is average height. It's in the Divination 
> class, where Trelawney says, "your dark hair and mean stature." 
Mean 
> means average, and stature refers to height. I looked it up in 
three 
> different books just to make sure.
> 
> I'm afraid that I must disagree here about the word "mean".  When 
I 
> read this section of GoF, I immediately assumed that when 
Trelawney 
> mentions Harry's mean stature, she meant that he was small and 
thin.
> I checked the Merriam-Webster on-line dictionary to be sure and 
> where the word "mean" is listed as an adjective, the first 
> definition was "1. lacking in distinction or eminence".  There are 
a 
> great many definitions for the word "mean" listed and I can 
> understand how this can be confusing.  I think that the way 
> Trelawney is using the word is more common in English usage than 
> American, however.  Perhaps one of our British listmembers could 
> help clarify this point.
> 
> Anyway, although I'm sure that Harry is growing to some extent 
every 
> year, I think that he is still short and small for his age.  After 
> all, on the same page in GoF as Trelawney's remark about 
his "mean" 
> stature we have:


I believe that 'of mean stature' implies that Harry is 'of average 
height' (ie. neither *tall* nor *short*) for his age group

 

> 
> Jo Serenadust, who thinks that most of Ron and Hermione's 
exchanges 
> are pretty hilarious

I think that Ron's  pretty hilarious *period* "Can I see Uranus too, 
Lavender"  :D

Erica