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English translation: If it's the music you want to enjoy, ...

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:...more about being seen than the music, better off hanging out
Selected answer:If it's the music you want to enjoy, ...
Entered by: KathyT

13:28 Sep 28, 2005
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
English term or phrase: phrase
Clubbing in Paris is more about being seen than the music, drinks are expensive, entry is hard and places are usually only open till 2-4am. Your better off hanging out at a ‘night time’ café till the wee hours of the morning and listening to the tunes of Paris and its Parisians.

Could you please explain : Clubbing in Paris is more about being seen than the music, drinks are expensive.

And what does the writer mean by "better off hanging"?
Sanjiv Sadan (X)
Local time: 22:03
If it's the music you want to enjoy, ...
Explanation:
...then a late-night cafe is probably preferable to a club.

The focus of the "club scene" is not on the music but on getting glammed up (dressed up, etc.) and being "on show", being seen in the "right" (hippest, etc.) clubs. Furthermore, drinks are expensive and it is hard to get into (can be refused entry for being the wrong age/gender/colo(u)r/hair/shoes, etc.)

Late-night cafes may be open until later and provide a better atmosphere for absorbing the music and "feel" of Paris and its inhabitants.

That should be "You'RE better off", by the way.
Also, it's "better off hanging OUT", where "to hang out" means "to spend time, etc."
Selected response from:

KathyT
Australia
Local time: 02:33
Grading comment
Thanks to all of you for your wonderful help and detailed explanations. I was somewhat puzzled to select the winner as you all deserve to be rewarded. Your answers are really great. However, I am selecting this one as the answerer has provided me with great details and moreover, she did not need to add something further.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +10clubbing means going out to nightclubs, and the most important thing is being visible
Kevin Kelly
5 +3If it's the music you want to enjoy, ...
KathyT
5you will enjoy it more if you spend your time at a café
Charlesp
4Explanations
Kim Metzger


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
If it's the music you want to enjoy, ...


Explanation:
...then a late-night cafe is probably preferable to a club.

The focus of the "club scene" is not on the music but on getting glammed up (dressed up, etc.) and being "on show", being seen in the "right" (hippest, etc.) clubs. Furthermore, drinks are expensive and it is hard to get into (can be refused entry for being the wrong age/gender/colo(u)r/hair/shoes, etc.)

Late-night cafes may be open until later and provide a better atmosphere for absorbing the music and "feel" of Paris and its inhabitants.

That should be "You'RE better off", by the way.
Also, it's "better off hanging OUT", where "to hang out" means "to spend time, etc."

KathyT
Australia
Local time: 02:33
Native speaker of: English
Grading comment
Thanks to all of you for your wonderful help and detailed explanations. I was somewhat puzzled to select the winner as you all deserve to be rewarded. Your answers are really great. However, I am selecting this one as the answerer has provided me with great details and moreover, she did not need to add something further.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Michael Fratus: right on. G'day.
2 hrs
  -> G'day to you, too! Thanks, mfratus (-:
agree  transparx
7 hrs
  -> Thank you, ninogulli (-:
agree  Jörgen Slet
19 hrs
  -> Thank you (-:
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Explanations


Explanation:
First, the writing is rather poor. The author may well be a native speaker, but he/she is not entirely literate. Hanging out: to 'hang out' is to spend time somewhere.

Your should be "you're". You're better off hanging out at a ‘night time’ café.

Clubbing in Paris is more about being seen than the music, drinks are expensive.
Clubbing - Going from one club to another - bar hopping
- is more about being seen than the music, drinks are expensive:
People who go clubbing are more interested in having other people see them than in listening to music and the drinks are expensive.



And what does the writer mean by "better off hanging"?


Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 10:33
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 80
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3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +10
clubbing means going out to nightclubs, and the most important thing is being visible


Explanation:
Better off hanging -- it would be preferable to spend your time....

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 mins (2005-09-28 13:37:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Being visible: other people seeing that you are there...

Incidentally, there is a mistake in the source text. It should be: "You're better off hanging...."

Unfortunately, it's becoming common for many Americans (even supposedly educated ones) not to know the difference between your/you're and they're/their/there.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 mins (2005-09-28 13:49:22 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

In response to Sanjiv's request for more explanation:

"clubbing is more about being seen than the music..." -- People who frequent clubs are less interested in listening to music than displaying themselves, their clothes, etc. to other people.

There is a trend in the US toward omitting the word "out" in the expression "hang out." For example, "I spend a lot of time hanging with my friends down at the Semi-Literate Cafe." :-)

Kevin Kelly
Local time: 12:33
Works in field
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Anabel Martínez
1 min
  -> Thank you, Anabel.
agree  Jack Doughty: Original would be better with a semicolon after "music". And it should be "You're", not "Your".
2 mins
  -> Thank you, Jack.
agree  Emilie
11 mins
  -> Thank you, Emilie.
agree  jennifer newsome (X)
2 hrs
  -> Thank you, Jennifer.
agree  Balaban Cerit
3 hrs
  -> Thank you, Balaban.
agree  transparx
7 hrs
  -> Thank you.
agree  Saiwai Translation Services
11 hrs
  -> Thank you.
agree  Java Cafe
16 hrs
  -> Thank you.
agree  Jörgen Slet
19 hrs
  -> Thank you.
agree  Alfa Trans (X)
1 day 23 hrs
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47 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
you will enjoy it more if you spend your time at a café


Explanation:
I am sure - I was recently in Paris!

you will enjoy it more if you spend your time at a café, than wasting it in a "club".

Charlesp
Sweden
Local time: 18:33
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
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