Newsgroup: it.cultura.linguistica.inglese
Titolo: One of them all but closed his jaws on Snowball's tail

The sentence came from "Animal Farm" by George Orwell. Some big dogs
chase one pig.
Could, in that sentence, "but" mean "only"?
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 Could, in that sentence, "but" mean "only"?
http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/o/orwell/george/o79a/chap5.html
<paste>
At this there was a terrible baying sound outside, and nine enormous
dogs wearing brass-studded collars came bounding into the barn. They
dashed straight for Snowball, who only sprang from his place just in
time to escape their snapping jaws. In a moment he was out of the door
and they were after him. Too amazed and frightened to speak, all the
animals crowded through the door to watch the chase. Snowball was racing
across the long pasture that led to the road. He was running as only a
pig can run, but the dogs were close on his heels. Suddenly he slipped
and it seemed certain that they had him. Then he was up again, running
faster than ever, then the dogs were gaining on him again. One of them
all but closed his jaws on Snowball’s tail, but Snowball whisked it free
just in time. Then he put on an extra spurt and, with a few inches to
spare, slipped through a hole in the hedge and was seen no more.
</paste>
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 Could, in that sentence, "but" mean "only"?
"all but" means "almost" here


I had to search with "all but" as a key. Sorry, I didn't think of that.
Thanks.
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 I had to search with "all but" as a key. Sorry, I didn't think of that.
Literally, it means "tutto tranne". Would not the literal translation work 
in italian? 

 in italian? 
"All except" for "quasi"? It doesn't work, in my opinion anyway.
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 "All except" for "quasi"? It doesn't work, in my opinion anyway.
Actually, it doesn't exactly mean 'quasi', although that is the easy
definition that doesn't take into account the connotations of the phrase. In
this context, 'all but' means that he did every other thing except for
closing his jaws on Snowball's tail. Unlike with 'quasi', the actual actions
are ambiguous. He may have come close to biting Snowball, or he my not have
tried to close his jaws on his tail at all. Instead, he may have chased him,
tried to corner him, perhaps even batted Snowball around, or temporarily
trapped his tail under the pressure of a limb or two. But one thing we do
know is that he didn't bite his tail. Part of the ambiguity depends on
whether you read the 'all but' as referring to the act of 'closing', as
opposed to doing other things with his jaws, or whether you read it as
referring to the act of 'closing his jaws' as opposed to doing other
actions.
So, keeping that information in mind, would not the literal translation work
in Italian?

 in Italian?
If it has been "One of them (did) all but close..." I have to say yes,
the translations fits. I mean "Uno di loro fece (di) tutto tranne
chiudere...".
Without "fare" in Italian doesn't make much sense, "Uno di loro tutto
tranne chiudere...".
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 chiudere...".
*translation
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 definition that doesn't take into account the connotations of the phrase.
"all but" means "almost" in cases like "You all but killed him", "It
was all but impossible"
and so on, surely? I accept that it's a bit odd that it should mean
"almost", but that
is what it means.

 If it has been "One of them (did) all but close..." I have to say yes,
*had


 tranne chiudere...".
It is the same in English. The verb is implied.




It all but means 'almost' and in many situations it can be substituted for 
almost without changing the meaning, but it has other connotations that 
almost doesn't bring. In fact, as I believe Akira would confirm, you can say 
'ha fatto tutto tranne' in Italian with the same meaning as in English.