Question

I went meekly aboard a few of the boats that lay packed together like sardines at the long St. Louis wharf, and humbly inquired for the pilots, but got only a cold shoulder and short words from mates and clerks.

How does Twain use an idiom in this excerpt?
A. To compare two unlike things, boats and sardines, by using the word like
B. To describe the way that the mates and clerks tapped Twain on the shoulder
C. To show a contrast between Twain's expectation and the reality of the situation
D. To show how Twain was deliberately made to feel unwelcome

Answer 1

D. To show how Twain was deliberately made to feel unwelcome

Answer 2

Answer: D. To show how Twain was deliberately made to feel unwelcome.

An idiom is a phrase that has a figurative meaning, in addition to its literal meaning. Twain describes his meeting with the mates and clerks by saying that he got the "cold shoulder." This is an idiom that describes being ignored, dismissed or disregarded. Twain wants to tell us that the people he talked to made him feel unwelcome.