Slang! (He smokes while playing the piano...)

[FangFang]

Hi, i read a funny sentence , as follows:

"the guy on TV is really cold, the music he made is cool. He smokes while playing the piano..."

Do you believe that he is really smoking while playing piano?

[Conchita]

Yes, it wouldn't be unusual to see that in bars or night clubs (in those where smoking is still allowed, that is!). Piano players can smoke and drink in those places. But they wouldn't do that in a concert hall, for example!

Now, seeing smoking as cool is very debatable nowadays, unless for a bunch of foolish teenagers !

[FangFang]

Hi,Conchita:
I think they just wanted to say" the guy is really cool and very good at playing piano," don't you think so? Of course , players are forbidden to smoke on a formal concert. So it was just a kidding expression, i guess.

[Yankee]

Hi FangFang

I think the writer of your sentence was playing with words and ideas --- playing with the literal meanings and the figurartive meanings.

A slang/informal meaning for "to smoke": To play or perform energetically

Amy
_________________
Amy
.
ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[Conchita]

[Tamara]

[FangFang]