Learnenglish  +  916985 Fri, 25 Sep 09 02:46 PM Dear Teacher,          I meet the sentence:          (after a fire) Even from the street, I could pick up the six-month-old cologne of charred wood and grinding damp where the firemen's hoses had penetrated every seam and crevice.         Question:  what's the meaning of cologne?         Thanks. Learnenglish Joined on Wed, Aug 1 2007 New Member 42 Sentences

	spaced_man  +  917007 Fri, 25 Sep 09 04:16 PM Question: what's the meaning of cologne? Hello.  In this context it means scent/smell/stench/etc. The sentence can also be written: "Even from the street, I could pick up the six-month-old scent of charred wood and grinding damp where the firemen's hoses had penetrated every seam and crevice." However, the writer has made an analogy between cologne (aftershave) and the aroma of the remains of a fire. It's purely for artistic merit. Hope that helps. spaced spaced_man Joined on Thu, Sep 24 2009 Edinburgh, Scotland New Member 19 A recovering prescriptivist Analogies, Sentences, Context

	Clive  +  917032 Fri, 25 Sep 09 05:43 PM Hi, It looks like he is saying that it is a nice smell, but it could also be interpreted as an ironic comment about a bad smell. The context usually makes the meaning clear.   Clive Clive Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004 Canada Veteran Member 29,583 El tango argentino es un pensamiento triste que se puede bailar (The tango argentino is a sad thought which can be danced) Enrique Santos Discépolo Context, Countries, France

	MrPernickety  +  917035 Fri, 25 Sep 09 05:48 PM Learnenglish “        I meet the sentence:  ”     An aside: I came across this sentence: MrPernickety Joined on Sat, Oct 25 2008 Regular Member 731 Amendment XXX to the US Constitution: No man shall be held accountable for any promise he makes while drunk unless it was a bet. Sentences