“Jelly in a vise” meaning [on hold]












0














Jelly in a vise is a proverb mentioned in "Asian Figure" by W.S Merwin.
What does "Jelly" mean in this proverb? Does it mean gelatinous? Or the jelly that we eat?
What kind of clamp is a "Vise"?






meaning proverbs pro-verb-constructions







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mBabaee is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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put on hold as off-topic by AndyT, J.R., tmgr, Chenmunka, Tushar Raj yesterday


This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:


  • "Please include the research you’ve done, or consider if your question suits our English Language Learners site better. Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic." – AndyT, tmgr, Chenmunka, Tushar Raj

If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.













  • Does it matter which type of jelly? You can google image search to find what a vise is. The meaning is clear, there's no idiom at use.
    – AndyT
    2 days ago






  • 2




    As a Brit, I'm finding the spelling "vise" really weird to look at. There are many American spellings that I am used to, but not that one. It's "vice" over here.
    – Colin Fine
    2 days ago










  • You might want to check out the exchange for English Language Learners.
    – J.R.
    2 days ago










  • Americans, who spell 'vise' thus, also use the word 'jelly' for something that Brits call 'jam'. What Brits call 'jelly', Americans usually call "Jell-O", I think. Which makes this odd because jam is runny and cannot be placed in a vice, whereas you could put a block of jelly in a vice, and try to grip it, with results that Merwin's metaphor seems to envisage.
    – Michael Harvey
    2 days ago
















0














Jelly in a vise is a proverb mentioned in "Asian Figure" by W.S Merwin.
What does "Jelly" mean in this proverb? Does it mean gelatinous? Or the jelly that we eat?
What kind of clamp is a "Vise"?






meaning proverbs pro-verb-constructions







share|improve this question







New contributor




mBabaee is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











put on hold as off-topic by AndyT, J.R., tmgr, Chenmunka, Tushar Raj yesterday


This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:


  • "Please include the research you’ve done, or consider if your question suits our English Language Learners site better. Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic." – AndyT, tmgr, Chenmunka, Tushar Raj

If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.













  • Does it matter which type of jelly? You can google image search to find what a vise is. The meaning is clear, there's no idiom at use.
    – AndyT
    2 days ago






  • 2




    As a Brit, I'm finding the spelling "vise" really weird to look at. There are many American spellings that I am used to, but not that one. It's "vice" over here.
    – Colin Fine
    2 days ago










  • You might want to check out the exchange for English Language Learners.
    – J.R.
    2 days ago










  • Americans, who spell 'vise' thus, also use the word 'jelly' for something that Brits call 'jam'. What Brits call 'jelly', Americans usually call "Jell-O", I think. Which makes this odd because jam is runny and cannot be placed in a vice, whereas you could put a block of jelly in a vice, and try to grip it, with results that Merwin's metaphor seems to envisage.
    – Michael Harvey
    2 days ago














0












0








0







Jelly in a vise is a proverb mentioned in "Asian Figure" by W.S Merwin.
What does "Jelly" mean in this proverb? Does it mean gelatinous? Or the jelly that we eat?
What kind of clamp is a "Vise"?






meaning proverbs pro-verb-constructions







share|improve this question







New contributor




mBabaee is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











Jelly in a vise is a proverb mentioned in "Asian Figure" by W.S Merwin.
What does "Jelly" mean in this proverb? Does it mean gelatinous? Or the jelly that we eat?
What kind of clamp is a "Vise"?






meaning proverbs pro-verb-constructions




meaning proverbs pro-verb-constructions






share|improve this question







New contributor




mBabaee is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|improve this question







New contributor




mBabaee is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









share|improve this question




share|improve this question






New contributor




mBabaee is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









asked 2 days ago









mBabaeemBabaee

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New contributor




mBabaee is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.





New contributor





mBabaee is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.






mBabaee is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.




put on hold as off-topic by AndyT, J.R., tmgr, Chenmunka, Tushar Raj yesterday


This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:


  • "Please include the research you’ve done, or consider if your question suits our English Language Learners site better. Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic." – AndyT, tmgr, Chenmunka, Tushar Raj

If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.




put on hold as off-topic by AndyT, J.R., tmgr, Chenmunka, Tushar Raj yesterday


This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:


  • "Please include the research you’ve done, or consider if your question suits our English Language Learners site better. Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic." – AndyT, tmgr, Chenmunka, Tushar Raj

If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.












  • Does it matter which type of jelly? You can google image search to find what a vise is. The meaning is clear, there's no idiom at use.
    – AndyT
    2 days ago






  • 2




    As a Brit, I'm finding the spelling "vise" really weird to look at. There are many American spellings that I am used to, but not that one. It's "vice" over here.
    – Colin Fine
    2 days ago










  • You might want to check out the exchange for English Language Learners.
    – J.R.
    2 days ago










  • Americans, who spell 'vise' thus, also use the word 'jelly' for something that Brits call 'jam'. What Brits call 'jelly', Americans usually call "Jell-O", I think. Which makes this odd because jam is runny and cannot be placed in a vice, whereas you could put a block of jelly in a vice, and try to grip it, with results that Merwin's metaphor seems to envisage.
    – Michael Harvey
    2 days ago


















  • Does it matter which type of jelly? You can google image search to find what a vise is. The meaning is clear, there's no idiom at use.
    – AndyT
    2 days ago






  • 2




    As a Brit, I'm finding the spelling "vise" really weird to look at. There are many American spellings that I am used to, but not that one. It's "vice" over here.
    – Colin Fine
    2 days ago










  • You might want to check out the exchange for English Language Learners.
    – J.R.
    2 days ago










  • Americans, who spell 'vise' thus, also use the word 'jelly' for something that Brits call 'jam'. What Brits call 'jelly', Americans usually call "Jell-O", I think. Which makes this odd because jam is runny and cannot be placed in a vice, whereas you could put a block of jelly in a vice, and try to grip it, with results that Merwin's metaphor seems to envisage.
    – Michael Harvey
    2 days ago
















Does it matter which type of jelly? You can google image search to find what a vise is. The meaning is clear, there's no idiom at use.
– AndyT
2 days ago




Does it matter which type of jelly? You can google image search to find what a vise is. The meaning is clear, there's no idiom at use.
– AndyT
2 days ago




2




2




As a Brit, I'm finding the spelling "vise" really weird to look at. There are many American spellings that I am used to, but not that one. It's "vice" over here.
– Colin Fine
2 days ago




As a Brit, I'm finding the spelling "vise" really weird to look at. There are many American spellings that I am used to, but not that one. It's "vice" over here.
– Colin Fine
2 days ago












You might want to check out the exchange for English Language Learners.
– J.R.
2 days ago




You might want to check out the exchange for English Language Learners.
– J.R.
2 days ago












Americans, who spell 'vise' thus, also use the word 'jelly' for something that Brits call 'jam'. What Brits call 'jelly', Americans usually call "Jell-O", I think. Which makes this odd because jam is runny and cannot be placed in a vice, whereas you could put a block of jelly in a vice, and try to grip it, with results that Merwin's metaphor seems to envisage.
– Michael Harvey
2 days ago




Americans, who spell 'vise' thus, also use the word 'jelly' for something that Brits call 'jam'. What Brits call 'jelly', Americans usually call "Jell-O", I think. Which makes this odd because jam is runny and cannot be placed in a vice, whereas you could put a block of jelly in a vice, and try to grip it, with results that Merwin's metaphor seems to envisage.
– Michael Harvey
2 days ago










1 Answer
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It is a metaphor. A Jelly cannot remain intact when tightened in a vise. A vise is like a clamp used to hold things firmly.




Vise -
a tool with two parts that can be moved together by tightening a screw so that an object can be held firmly between them while it is being worked on


So to describe a very tight / tense situation this phrase can be used where the subject is in tight scrutiny / focus and cannot hold the pressure mounting on it.




Example usage - "I literally felt like Jelly in a vise to have written the final exams without preparation"





share|improve this answer




























    1 Answer
    1






    active

    oldest

    votes








    1 Answer
    1






    active

    oldest

    votes









    active

    oldest

    votes






    active

    oldest

    votes









    0














    It is a metaphor. A Jelly cannot remain intact when tightened in a vise. A vise is like a clamp used to hold things firmly.




    Vise -
    a tool with two parts that can be moved together by tightening a screw so that an object can be held firmly between them while it is being worked on


    So to describe a very tight / tense situation this phrase can be used where the subject is in tight scrutiny / focus and cannot hold the pressure mounting on it.




    Example usage - "I literally felt like Jelly in a vise to have written the final exams without preparation"





    share|improve this answer


























      0














      It is a metaphor. A Jelly cannot remain intact when tightened in a vise. A vise is like a clamp used to hold things firmly.




      Vise -
      a tool with two parts that can be moved together by tightening a screw so that an object can be held firmly between them while it is being worked on


      So to describe a very tight / tense situation this phrase can be used where the subject is in tight scrutiny / focus and cannot hold the pressure mounting on it.




      Example usage - "I literally felt like Jelly in a vise to have written the final exams without preparation"





      share|improve this answer
























        0












        0








        0






        It is a metaphor. A Jelly cannot remain intact when tightened in a vise. A vise is like a clamp used to hold things firmly.




        Vise -
        a tool with two parts that can be moved together by tightening a screw so that an object can be held firmly between them while it is being worked on


        So to describe a very tight / tense situation this phrase can be used where the subject is in tight scrutiny / focus and cannot hold the pressure mounting on it.




        Example usage - "I literally felt like Jelly in a vise to have written the final exams without preparation"





        share|improve this answer












        It is a metaphor. A Jelly cannot remain intact when tightened in a vise. A vise is like a clamp used to hold things firmly.




        Vise -
        a tool with two parts that can be moved together by tightening a screw so that an object can be held firmly between them while it is being worked on


        So to describe a very tight / tense situation this phrase can be used where the subject is in tight scrutiny / focus and cannot hold the pressure mounting on it.




        Example usage - "I literally felt like Jelly in a vise to have written the final exams without preparation"






        share|improve this answer












        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer










        answered 2 days ago









        ExplorerExplorer

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