I’m re-reading Robert Heinlein’s “The Door Into Summer”. One his signature tricks is have a character offhandedly use an idiom that is purportedly well known, such as Mrs. Grundy - a figuratively prudish neighbor (that was in the Lazarus Long books, I think).
In this book he describes the Mia. Character in a conflict with a co-worker who wants him to do something he doesn’t want to do. He says, “I old him what the fortune teller told the cop.”
Anyone know what that means? I can’t find anything useful in my searches.
“I see great disappointment in your future” or something very similar to that was a kind of gag reply to requests for help back in the day. Maybe something like that?
As long as we’re on the subject, can somebody explain the meaning of a line in Bruce Springsteen’s song “4th of July, Asbury Park”? The one where he says “Did you hear the cops finally busted Madame Marie/For tellin’ fortunes better than they do”. What did Springsteen mean? Why would the police be telling fortunes?
Ooh, I know this one! Bruce and his teenage pals used to hang out on the boardwalk in Asbury Park, and got to know the regulars. There were a whole lot of carnies (and fortune tellers) that ALL the locals knew.
A friend of mine who spent his misguided youth down there says they all thought it was great that The Boss put these locals in his song: “Hey, that rundown Tilt-A-Whirl on the south beach drag! Madam Marie! The boys from the casino who dance with their shirts open! Oh, man, he remembers ALL of it!”
I heard every once in a while the cops would bust some of the carny folk (probably for cheating or pick-pocketing). When they busted Mme. Marie, the local kids were just guessing at a reason.
The real life Marie Castello was never actually arrested; Springsteen made that part up.
But that wasn’t the point of my question. I understand that the police arrest fortune tellers for crimes like cheating or pick-pocketing. But the song said Madam Marie was arrested for telling fortunes better than the police did - which makes no obvious sense. I’m assuming Springsteen meant it in some metaphorical sense but I can’t figure out what literal activity he’s referred to.
Or maybe just “Hey, you kids are never goin’ anywhere. Yer gonna be stuck in this town 'less you straighten up. Ya don’t stay in school, ya keep playing that rock music, you’ll end up in the slammer.”
Y’know, stuff my dad and his friends said all the time…