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Hell in Portrait of the Artist As A Young Man

Posted by Word Camel on July 08, 2003

In Reply to: Hell freezes over posted by Barney on July 08, 2003

: : : : : : Hi:

: : : : : : Hi, need help again.

: : : : : : When a man was talking about his chance of
: : : : : : getting a promotion, he said:

: : : : : : "It was like a snowball's chance in hell."

: : : : : : What did he mean?

: : : : : : Thanks.

: : : : : The possibility that a snowball can survive in hell is nil. The man believed that his chance of getting a promotion was nil.

: : : : Another expression used to indicate that an event is not likely to occur is "when hell freezes over". To use the current example, the man's will get his promotion "when hell freezes over".

: : : Was there not ice and snow in Dante's circle iii? And did not Dante know as much about hell as any of us here?

: : Yes, but Milton trumps Dante. Fire over ice. The visions of hell vary all over the place, but perpetual discomfort is the constant. I personally believe the worst people will be required to watch Adam Sandler movies forever.

: I had thought that those condemned to eternal torture would be obliged to listen forever to the speeches of President George W. Bush.

Joyce's description of hell in Portrait of the Artist is by far the most evocative I have read. I do like Dante though because I liked trying to figure out which circle of hell I'd be most likely to end up in.

A few years ago, I came very close to experiencing something close to my own personal hell, when some one tried to rope me into attending the Home Shopping Network's "Gathering of the Dolls" with a moderately deranged co-worker (the same individual later quit and sent an email round the company bemoaning the "fact" that she *knew* we all really wanted to have sex with her). Truth is stranger than fiction and sometimes hell is where you find it.

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