Stopper in Death - Brew/Bottle/Stopper

[Matt]

No: HPFGUIDX 111940

--- Steve wrote:
> For starters, Snape has a theme going in his little 
> speech; Brew, Bottle, and Stopper; brew it up, put it 
> in a bottle, and put a cork in it. 

I agree.  That's why he couldn't possibly mean "stopper" as in "a
person who stops something," because that meaning has nothing to do
with the kind of stopper that goes in a bottle.  

> To some extent, carrying the figure of speech or theme 
> through puts a limit on the absolute accuracy of the
> statement. I guess you could call it poetic license.

Of course Snape is speaking figuratively -- there is no way to
literally "stopper" an abstract concept such as death, any more than
there is a way to literally "bottle fame."  His use of a metaphor does
not, however, mean that Snape is departing from the meaning of
"stopper" that makes sense in a Potions class.  On the contrary, as
you pointed out above, the extended metaphor *confirms* that he means
a stopper such as a cork, rather than weakening that connection.

> As to the meaning of 'stopper', it means, put a cork 
> in it, as in put a cork or a stopper in a bottle. That 
> could be view in different ways.  It could mean to 
> contain death, not contain it as in 'what's in this
> bottle will kill you', but to contain it the way an 
> plague or epidemic is contained. So, the interpretation 
> would be, what's in this bottle will stave off death, 
> keep it at bay, or to cause death to stop.

It *could* mean that, but not without departing from the extended
metaphor and stretching the meaning of "stopper" beyond recognition.  

In "bottle fame," the potion that is being bottled represents fame (or
will bring fame to the brewer).  In "brew glory," the potion that is
being brewed represents glory (or will bring glory to the brewer). 
Under your interpretation, "stopper death," means something totally
different: instead of the referring to a potion that stands in for, or
is connected with, death, it refers to a potion that has the effect of
stopping death.  

Moreover, to reprise Dungrollin's point, stoppering something is not
the same as stopping it.  To pursue your example, no one would ever
refer to the containment of an epidemic as "stoppering" it.  And the
usage you suggest would be even more strange when applied to a concept
like death that does not naturally spread, so that "containing" it
must itself be a metaphor.  "Stopper" = "Stave off"???  No, they both
relate to the word "contain," but that's about it. 

> Formal definitions - (Am. Heritage 3rd Ed/CD-ROM)
> stopper - n. 1. A device, such as a cork or plug, that 
> is inserted to close an opening. 2. ***One that causes 
> something to stop: a conversation stopper.

Snape is not talking about a conversation stopper for goodness sake. 
He is, as you said above, referring to a stopper that goes in a
bottle, like a cork.  

> Other's, as noted, are reading stopper death, as being 
> the same as 'bottle death'. This bottle is filled with 
> a substance that will cause death. The alternate is that 
> this bottle contains a substance that will prevent death 
> (presumably within reasonable limits).

Snape could only mean that if "stopper x" means "contain a substance
that will prevent x."  With all due respect to Wittgenstein, I think
not!  I can see an argument for the reading that DuffyPoo (I think)
was adopting, where stoppering death means to put your own death in a
bottle (for some purpose unknown), but an invulnerability potion just
doesn't fit.

-- Matt