What does “he is no loss!” mean?
“The moment that - that thing entered the room,” she screamed, pointing at Fudge, trembling all over, “it swooped down on Crouch and - and -”
Harry felt a chill in his stomach as Professor McGonagall struggled to
find words to describe what had happened. He did not need her to
finish her sentence. He knew what the dementor must have done. It had
administered its fatal kiss to Barty Crouch. It had sucked his soul
out through his mouth. He was worse than dead.
“By all accounts, he is no loss!” blustered Fudge. “It seems he has
been responsible for several deaths'.”
“But he cannot now give testimony, Cornelius,” said Dumbledore.
I guess he is no loss! probably means he is useless. But I'm not sure if my understanding is correct. What does it mean exactly?
meaning-in-context
edited Jan 1 at 5:56
Peter Mortensen
26728
asked Dec 31 '18 at 11:19
dandan
5,29422676
add a comment |
“The moment that - that thing entered the room,” she screamed, pointing at Fudge, trembling all over, “it swooped down on Crouch and - and -”
Harry felt a chill in his stomach as Professor McGonagall struggled to
find words to describe what had happened. He did not need her to
finish her sentence. He knew what the dementor must have done. It had
administered its fatal kiss to Barty Crouch. It had sucked his soul
out through his mouth. He was worse than dead.
“By all accounts, he is no loss!” blustered Fudge. “It seems he has
been responsible for several deaths'.”
“But he cannot now give testimony, Cornelius,” said Dumbledore.
I guess he is no loss! probably means he is useless. But I'm not sure if my understanding is correct. What does it mean exactly?
meaning-in-context
edited Jan 1 at 5:56
Peter Mortensen
26728
asked Dec 31 '18 at 11:19
dandan
5,29422676
add a comment |
“The moment that - that thing entered the room,” she screamed, pointing at Fudge, trembling all over, “it swooped down on Crouch and - and -”
Harry felt a chill in his stomach as Professor McGonagall struggled to
find words to describe what had happened. He did not need her to
finish her sentence. He knew what the dementor must have done. It had
administered its fatal kiss to Barty Crouch. It had sucked his soul
out through his mouth. He was worse than dead.
“By all accounts, he is no loss!” blustered Fudge. “It seems he has
been responsible for several deaths'.”
“But he cannot now give testimony, Cornelius,” said Dumbledore.
I guess he is no loss! probably means he is useless. But I'm not sure if my understanding is correct. What does it mean exactly?
meaning-in-context
edited Jan 1 at 5:56
Peter Mortensen
26728
asked Dec 31 '18 at 11:19
dandan
5,29422676
“The moment that - that thing entered the room,” she screamed, pointing at Fudge, trembling all over, “it swooped down on Crouch and - and -”
Harry felt a chill in his stomach as Professor McGonagall struggled to
find words to describe what had happened. He did not need her to
finish her sentence. He knew what the dementor must have done. It had
administered its fatal kiss to Barty Crouch. It had sucked his soul
out through his mouth. He was worse than dead.
“By all accounts, he is no loss!” blustered Fudge. “It seems he has
been responsible for several deaths'.”
“But he cannot now give testimony, Cornelius,” said Dumbledore.
I guess he is no loss! probably means he is useless. But I'm not sure if my understanding is correct. What does it mean exactly?
meaning-in-context
meaning-in-context
edited Jan 1 at 5:56
Peter Mortensen
26728
asked Dec 31 '18 at 11:19
dandan
5,29422676
edited Jan 1 at 5:56
Peter Mortensen
26728
asked Dec 31 '18 at 11:19
dandan
5,29422676
edited Jan 1 at 5:56
Peter Mortensen
26728
edited Jan 1 at 5:56
Peter Mortensen
26728
edited Jan 1 at 5:56
Peter Mortensen
26728
26728
asked Dec 31 '18 at 11:19
dandan
5,29422676
asked Dec 31 '18 at 11:19
dandan
5,29422676
asked Dec 31 '18 at 11:19
dandan
5,29422676
5,29422676
add a comment |
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
You're right. Literally it is saying "losing him is not a loss, i.e. not losing anything of value".
answered Dec 31 '18 at 11:22
Colin FineColin Fine
30.4k24258
3
Yep I find Rowling's phrasing a bit weird here. I would not say "he is no loss" but rather talk about how the death was no loss. Maybe that's just me.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
Dec 31 '18 at 14:36
2
Maybe, @LightnessRacesinOrbit: it seems fine to me. In the British National Corpus, only one of the ten instances of "no great loss" is predicated of a person.
– Colin Fine
Dec 31 '18 at 15:36
1
It's just metonymic, @Lightness. In this context I take "he is no loss" to mean "his debilitation represents no loss".
– Gary Botnovcan
Dec 31 '18 at 16:46
2
@GaryBotnovcan I get what it means and how it's formed, it just doesn't seem like a common usage to me. But then of course my sample size is relatively low.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
Dec 31 '18 at 16:55
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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You're right. Literally it is saying "losing him is not a loss, i.e. not losing anything of value".
answered Dec 31 '18 at 11:22
Colin FineColin Fine
30.4k24258
3
Yep I find Rowling's phrasing a bit weird here. I would not say "he is no loss" but rather talk about how the death was no loss. Maybe that's just me.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
Dec 31 '18 at 14:36
2
Maybe, @LightnessRacesinOrbit: it seems fine to me. In the British National Corpus, only one of the ten instances of "no great loss" is predicated of a person.
– Colin Fine
Dec 31 '18 at 15:36
1
It's just metonymic, @Lightness. In this context I take "he is no loss" to mean "his debilitation represents no loss".
– Gary Botnovcan
Dec 31 '18 at 16:46
2
@GaryBotnovcan I get what it means and how it's formed, it just doesn't seem like a common usage to me. But then of course my sample size is relatively low.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
Dec 31 '18 at 16:55
add a comment |
You're right. Literally it is saying "losing him is not a loss, i.e. not losing anything of value".
answered Dec 31 '18 at 11:22
Colin FineColin Fine
30.4k24258
3
Yep I find Rowling's phrasing a bit weird here. I would not say "he is no loss" but rather talk about how the death was no loss. Maybe that's just me.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
Dec 31 '18 at 14:36
2
Maybe, @LightnessRacesinOrbit: it seems fine to me. In the British National Corpus, only one of the ten instances of "no great loss" is predicated of a person.
– Colin Fine
Dec 31 '18 at 15:36
1
It's just metonymic, @Lightness. In this context I take "he is no loss" to mean "his debilitation represents no loss".
– Gary Botnovcan
Dec 31 '18 at 16:46
2
@GaryBotnovcan I get what it means and how it's formed, it just doesn't seem like a common usage to me. But then of course my sample size is relatively low.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
Dec 31 '18 at 16:55
add a comment |
You're right. Literally it is saying "losing him is not a loss, i.e. not losing anything of value".
answered Dec 31 '18 at 11:22
Colin FineColin Fine
30.4k24258
You're right. Literally it is saying "losing him is not a loss, i.e. not losing anything of value".
answered Dec 31 '18 at 11:22
Colin FineColin Fine
30.4k24258
answered Dec 31 '18 at 11:22
Colin FineColin Fine
30.4k24258
answered Dec 31 '18 at 11:22
Colin FineColin Fine
30.4k24258
answered Dec 31 '18 at 11:22
Colin FineColin Fine
30.4k24258
30.4k24258
3
Yep I find Rowling's phrasing a bit weird here. I would not say "he is no loss" but rather talk about how the death was no loss. Maybe that's just me.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
Dec 31 '18 at 14:36
2
Maybe, @LightnessRacesinOrbit: it seems fine to me. In the British National Corpus, only one of the ten instances of "no great loss" is predicated of a person.
– Colin Fine
Dec 31 '18 at 15:36
1
It's just metonymic, @Lightness. In this context I take "he is no loss" to mean "his debilitation represents no loss".
– Gary Botnovcan
Dec 31 '18 at 16:46
2
@GaryBotnovcan I get what it means and how it's formed, it just doesn't seem like a common usage to me. But then of course my sample size is relatively low.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
Dec 31 '18 at 16:55
add a comment |
3
Yep I find Rowling's phrasing a bit weird here. I would not say "he is no loss" but rather talk about how the death was no loss. Maybe that's just me.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
Dec 31 '18 at 14:36
2
Maybe, @LightnessRacesinOrbit: it seems fine to me. In the British National Corpus, only one of the ten instances of "no great loss" is predicated of a person.
– Colin Fine
Dec 31 '18 at 15:36
1
It's just metonymic, @Lightness. In this context I take "he is no loss" to mean "his debilitation represents no loss".
– Gary Botnovcan
Dec 31 '18 at 16:46
2
@GaryBotnovcan I get what it means and how it's formed, it just doesn't seem like a common usage to me. But then of course my sample size is relatively low.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
Dec 31 '18 at 16:55
3
3
Yep I find Rowling's phrasing a bit weird here. I would not say "he is no loss" but rather talk about how the death was no loss. Maybe that's just me.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
Dec 31 '18 at 14:36
Yep I find Rowling's phrasing a bit weird here. I would not say "he is no loss" but rather talk about how the death was no loss. Maybe that's just me.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
Dec 31 '18 at 14:36
2
2
Maybe, @LightnessRacesinOrbit: it seems fine to me. In the British National Corpus, only one of the ten instances of "no great loss" is predicated of a person.
– Colin Fine
Dec 31 '18 at 15:36
Maybe, @LightnessRacesinOrbit: it seems fine to me. In the British National Corpus, only one of the ten instances of "no great loss" is predicated of a person.
– Colin Fine
Dec 31 '18 at 15:36
1
1
It's just metonymic, @Lightness. In this context I take "he is no loss" to mean "his debilitation represents no loss".
– Gary Botnovcan
Dec 31 '18 at 16:46
It's just metonymic, @Lightness. In this context I take "he is no loss" to mean "his debilitation represents no loss".
– Gary Botnovcan
Dec 31 '18 at 16:46
2
2
@GaryBotnovcan I get what it means and how it's formed, it just doesn't seem like a common usage to me. But then of course my sample size is relatively low.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
Dec 31 '18 at 16:55
@GaryBotnovcan I get what it means and how it's formed, it just doesn't seem like a common usage to me. But then of course my sample size is relatively low.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
Dec 31 '18 at 16:55
add a comment |
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