take a couple of heaves

English translation: pushed a couple of times (with his foot)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:take a couple of heaves
Selected answer:pushed a couple of times (with his foot)
Entered by: Patricia Townshend (X)

09:26 Jul 25, 2008
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
English term or phrase: take a couple of heaves
Hans kicked the prone Stevenson, who lay face down on the dirt-covered floor; he eased his foot under his shoulder and took a couple of heaves before flipping him over. He was clearly dead.

Does it mean "he drew his breath" before using his energy to kick the body to flip over?
Magicmarker
Local time: 18:51
pushed a couple of times with his foot
Explanation:
I don't think it need be about breathing but rather that he pushed a few times with his foot before flipping the body over. Heaves would indicate that the body was heavy and he had to flex his muscles a few times before managing to flip the body.
Selected response from:

Patricia Townshend (X)
South Africa
Local time: 13:51
Grading comment
Thank you very much
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +3Chest heaves
Michael Iakovides
3 +5pushed a couple of times with his foot
Patricia Townshend (X)


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Chest heaves


Explanation:
When you breathe, especially heavily, your chest heaves (heaving motion). So yes, it means that he took a couple of breaths.

Michael Iakovides
Local time: 13:51
Native speaker of: Native in GreekGreek, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  d_vachliot (X): It makes perfect sense. He took a couple of breaths to prepare himself for the sight of the dead man's face.
59 mins

agree  Jack Doughty
2 hrs

agree  Phong Le
17 hrs
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11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +5
pushed a couple of times with his foot


Explanation:
I don't think it need be about breathing but rather that he pushed a few times with his foot before flipping the body over. Heaves would indicate that the body was heavy and he had to flex his muscles a few times before managing to flip the body.

Patricia Townshend (X)
South Africa
Local time: 13:51
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 36
Grading comment
Thank you very much

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Armorel Young: I agree - he gave a gave a couple of initial pushes before the final one which actually flipped the body over
23 mins
  -> Thanks Armorel

agree  Victoria Porter-Burns: Exactly - a few attempts, you might say, before he succeeded in flipping the body over.
24 mins
  -> Thanks Victoria

neutral  Michael Iakovides: the only problem is that you generally do not heave things with your feet. you shove,kick or push them. heave is genearlly a motion done with the chest, torso or back
1 hr
  -> Yes, I'd agree, but I don't really see what else can be meant. Unless one visualises more of a pushing with the foot rather than an uplifting. The toes would still be underneath, but in a pushing rather than a lifting position. If you see what I mean!

agree  Liam Hamilton
1 hr
  -> Thanks Liam

agree  BdiL: After he "eased his foot under his shoulder" he tried (couple of heaves) to flip the body over, finally succeding. Maurizio
2 hrs
  -> Thanks BdiL

disagree  d_vachliot (X): Why would "he push a few times with his foot before flipping him over. He was clearly dead." It doesn't make any sense. Especially, the way this passage is structured.
3 hrs
  -> Because the body was too heavy to be flipped over with one push. I read it that he was seen to be clearly dead only after he was flipped over.

agree  Gary D: Pushed a few times with his foot as he made a slight heaving / grunting noise. Example:The athlete heaved the shotput to a world record.
6 hrs
  -> Thanks. Good thought about the heaving noise.

agree  warren: my impression is a couple of heaves relates to lifting
9 hrs
  -> Thanks warren
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