usage of 'wipe out'

[Vulgaire]

Hi, teachers!

Just right before, I discussed on "wipe out" with my friends.

The beginning of this debate was like this.

Somebody asked us:
'He wiped out the window cleanly' "What does it mean?"

My friend said:
"It's an impossible setence. we have to use wipe out ,as "wash" or "mop", only in front of the receptacle such as container and vessel."

But I said:
"Nop, it is the correct setence and understandable. Of course we can see "wipe out" as a 'two part verb' but we can also see that as adverb that menas 'thoroughly'."

Then,for a while, we debated on this question.

So, here is summary.

In that sentence, the usage of "wipe out" is correct?

And, even if that sentence is wrong,
can you understand "wipe out" in that sentence as mopping or washing?

It's pretty serious between me and friends.
I hope your lucid answers.

[Yankee]

Welcome to the forum, Vulgaire.

Well, I'm afraid I have some bad news for both you and your friends. My first interpretation of your sentence might be this:
"He destroyed the window without making much of a mess."

Here are some dictionary definitions of 'wipe out':
18. wipe out
a. to destroy completely; demolish: The entire city was wiped out.
b. Informal. to murder; kill: They wiped him out to keep him from testifying.
c. Slang. to beat decisively, as in sports.

I also agree with your friends that you could say "wipe a receptacle out" (meaning 'clean it by wiping the inside'). I would not add the word 'cleanly'.

If you talk about a window, you could say "I wiped the window clean."

Hope that settles the debate. :D

Amy
_________________
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln

[Vulgaire]

So. I gotta go to admit my miss. :cry:

And thanks again.

[Youknowitsme]

First of all, thank you for your kind response.

I'd like to ask you to answer one more question, if you please.

The following is a summary of part of a short story.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A man shoots another man in his car, then throws the body away in a lake.

The next day, he takes some hot water and sponges out to the car to
clean up the mess inside.

...Such is the context.

The sentence my question concerns is:

He wipes the blood off the steering wheel and wipes the glass out of the passenger seat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here, the verb 'to wipe' is used with the steering wheel, which is something "upon" which one places one's hands, and which, for all practical purposes, does not have an 'inside' thus is a surface rather than a receptacle.

With regard to 'passenger seat,' the verb form 'to wipe sth out of sth,' or 'to wipe sth out,' is used. I take this to signify that the seat is a receptacle of sorts, as one most likely sits IN a seat than ON it.

So...

The question is:

Upon reading the sentence

"He wipes the blood off the steering wheel and wipes the glass out of the passenger seat,"

would the native reader interpret 'the glass' as a block of glass as in windshield or mirror?

Is the correct interpretation of 'the glass' in this context not 'glass debris, shards or pieces?'

Thank you in advance for your kind help.

[Yankee]

Hi youknowitsme

Welcome to the forum. I guess you must be one of Vulgaire's friends, eh?

[Yankee]

One more thing:

Yes, the seat is a receptacle of sorts. After all, some seats in cars are actually called "bucket seats". :D

Amy
_________________
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln