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Phase through

Posted by Thefallen on May 11, 2003

In Reply to: Phase through posted by R. Berg on May 11, 2003

: : : : : : : Hi!
: : : : : : : Could anyone tell me the meaning of " phrase through" in the following sentence?
: : : : : : : "She starts pounding on the door, and inadvertently phrases through it just as Lance is passing by."
: : : : : : : Any help would be appreciated.

: : : : : : "Phrases through" doesn't make sense at all. It must be a typo for "passes through" or "pierces through" or something else.
: : : : : Hi,R.Berg,I just made a howler. It should be "phase through". Even so it still looks confusing to me.

: : : : "Phase through" doesn't make sense either, unless the story is set in an alternative world and the writer has taken liberties with quantum physics so that, say, a pounding fist can liquefy a solid door.

: : : I don't suppose the female protagonist is a ghost or anything, is she? Or, if not a ghost, Death's grand-daughter, the wonderful Susan Sto Helit, also had the knack of being able to walk through solid objects if she put her mind to it.

: : : (That last sentence will only make sense to Pratchett fans - and for those, please note that The Wee Free Men has just been released in the bookshops.)

: : Hi,R.berg and TheFallen,I deeply appreciate your time and effort in answering my question. Now I do see the light. Due to my carelessness, I didn't state it clearly from the start. The quoted sentence was taken from "X-men Evolution Episode Guide." Accordingly, the female protagonist is a character with paranormal powers.

: Well, then, my best guess is that she does with her hand (or her mind) what Captain Kirk and the armed members of his crew did with phasers--change the state of matter by shooting rays at it.

I disagree. Though by no means fluent in the conventions and language of sci-fi, I don't think that any relationship to rayguns (as per Captain James T and his trusty phaser) is involved at all. I suspect that this paranormal female is supposedly able to change the "phase state" of her body and thus walk through solid objects, such as the door - maybe she's imprisoned, as unaware as her captors of her paranormal powers, but while pounding on the door in frustration, her powers suddenly awaken and she slips through the door, surprising Lance who's walking past at the time. (I've missed my vocation, clearly).

All utter nonsense, but I'd lay $5 on that being what is meant.

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