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(a tie) divided at the bottom into a wild fork shape

English translation: possibly...

11:10 Dec 26, 2018
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Textiles / Clothing / Fashion
English term or phrase: (a tie) divided at the bottom into a wild fork shape
But the tie: ah. It had just arrived from New York, the latest in bright, cheerful colors; it *divided at the bottom into a wild fork shape*.
--quoted from Martian Time-Slip (1964, science fiction) by Philip K. Dick (link: https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=“divided at the bott...

This style of tie really exists/existed? Or was just imagined by the author?
Thank you!
updownK
China
Local time: 09:02
Selected answer:possibly...
Explanation:
any design is possible though I haven't seen this one, yet!

But it is part of a sci-fi landscape and is the "latest" design (from New York) so of course it is real in the imaginary setting of the book.

After all, ties can come with flat bottom and in narrow, slim and wide shapes and can be knotted in lots of different ways, and produced in lots of different fabrics so I wouldn't be at all surprised if someone produced one like this!

Also note that "forked-tongue" could well be symbolic of something else going on.
The meaning of someone speaking with a forked tongue is that they are lying! Or the image also conjures up reptiles. Think of snakes, seen as slithery and slimy and used to descibe humans like this.

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Note added at 1 day 1 hr (2018-12-27 12:42:40 GMT)
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a few "different" ties
https://yournecktieshop.com/skinny-ties/square-end-ties

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Note added at 2 days 53 mins (2018-12-28 12:04:01 GMT) Post-grading
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Glad to have helped.
Definitely keep the forked shape in your translation then if you have the same sort of reference to snakes. I think it would be an interesting tie anyway!
[and Happy New Year!]
Selected response from:

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 02:02
Grading comment
Thank you for your detailed answer! Just as you said, the fork shape conjures up snakes, or devil, because the man who put it on was to lure another man's wife.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4Imaginary
Omar Al-Awady
4possibly...
Yvonne Gallagher


  

Answers


27 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Imaginary


Explanation:
As far as I know as a man, this is an imaginary tie since there are no wild forks in the jungles, and that it's a science fiction text.

Omar Al-Awady
Egypt
Local time: 03:02
Native speaker of: Arabic
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks! But I think the sentence should be read as (wild) (fork shape).


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Yvonne Gallagher: what do you mean by "no wild forks in the jungles"?
1 day 55 mins
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 day 1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
possibly...


Explanation:
any design is possible though I haven't seen this one, yet!

But it is part of a sci-fi landscape and is the "latest" design (from New York) so of course it is real in the imaginary setting of the book.

After all, ties can come with flat bottom and in narrow, slim and wide shapes and can be knotted in lots of different ways, and produced in lots of different fabrics so I wouldn't be at all surprised if someone produced one like this!

Also note that "forked-tongue" could well be symbolic of something else going on.
The meaning of someone speaking with a forked tongue is that they are lying! Or the image also conjures up reptiles. Think of snakes, seen as slithery and slimy and used to descibe humans like this.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 1 hr (2018-12-27 12:42:40 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

a few "different" ties
https://yournecktieshop.com/skinny-ties/square-end-ties

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days 53 mins (2018-12-28 12:04:01 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Glad to have helped.
Definitely keep the forked shape in your translation then if you have the same sort of reference to snakes. I think it would be an interesting tie anyway!
[and Happy New Year!]

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 02:02
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 11
Grading comment
Thank you for your detailed answer! Just as you said, the fork shape conjures up snakes, or devil, because the man who put it on was to lure another man's wife.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Sure! Happy New Year:)

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