Question

"... I broke my leg. It laid me up; I had to do something to keep my hand in, so I decided to get tattooed." What does that mean?

Answer 1

srry....no clue!

Answer 2

Aw. ): There goes my hope.

Answer 3

well....hold on...what is this for...maybe i just need more info

Answer 4

From an article. I'm trying to search for a quote I can use for a paragraph, but after reading it, I realized that I didn't understand what it mean.

Answer 5

is there more to the quote?

Answer 6

That's the quote I want to use. Though I can give the paragraph: "In 1900, when I was twnty years old and working a carnival, I broke my leg. It laid me up; I had to do something to keep my hand in, so I decided to get tattooed."

Answer 7

twenty*

Answer 8

im srry hun...i really have no clue...nd im normally good at this stuff. srry. :(

Answer 9

Even the smartest kid in my class doesn't get it. I guess it's a lost term in the 1930s.

Answer 10

WAIT!!! ALL HOPE IS NOT LOST!!!

Answer 11

I still have some hope left!~

Answer 12

Yes, yes you do!! Okay, so this is from a book! The book was call "The Illustrated Man" And this is a sentence from the book! Want more?

Answer 13

Yep. What does that sentence(s) I quoted mean?

Answer 14

Jonathan1997....if u can figure this out for this kid...tht would be great...cuz i have no clue, nd feel bad that i cant help.

Answer 15

Now from reading the sentence, it sounds to me like this was a curse of a tattoo!

Answer 16

http://books.google.com/books?id=eoE2hrrK7G8C&pg=PT8&lpg=PT8&dq=%22In+1900,+when+I+was+twenty+years+old+and+working+a+carnival,+I+broke+my+leg.+It+laid+me+up;+I+had+to+do+something+to+keep+my+hand+in,+so+I+decided+to+get+tattooed.%22&source=bl&ots=JhX7Xir2kg&sig=eFNe0MTeZf09Amgz5KA2nvYTLaQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=podkUuTOE6a0ygGowoHIAQ&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22In%201900%2C%20when%20I%20was%20twenty%20years%20old%20and%20working%20a%20carnival%2C%20I%20broke%20my%20leg.%20It%20laid%20me%20up%3B%20I%20had%20to%20do%20something%20to%20keep%20my%20hand%20in%2C%20so%20I%20decided%20to%20get%20tattooed.%22&f=false

Answer 17

Pretty much, from The Illustrated Man's perspective.
But what does, " I had to do something to keep my hand in" mean? It's too vague for me to understand, do you understand it?

Answer 18

Hmmm.... It could mean that since his leg was broken that he still wanted to keep his hand in the game or just that his tattoo was bad! :P

Answer 19

Hmm. What do you mean by "in the game"?

Answer 20

Like he is not letting it keep him down! Also, I am doing some research for it as we speak!

Answer 21

Btw, I'm reading a different version of The Illustrated Man. c:
What I meant by a different version is the ending is different at the end of the chapter.
So only read (if you want) before the sentence I quoted.

Answer 22

Okay, well! I have to go man! I wish you the best of luck! God bless!!

Answer 23

Alright, thanks for the cheer.

Answer 24

Thanks, katielynn for trying to help me. No need to feel bad. I'll find another way. I don't neccesarily have to use that quote.

Answer 25

awww....thnx for the medal....i would give jonathan one too....

Answer 26

If you like Jonathan should earn a medal, then give him a medal.

Answer 27

I did....I thought he did way better than I did...just a thought.