Help with English please

doubleshuffle · 03-10-2020, 12:38 PM

I'm preparing a book by German writer Klaus Mann. The book is in German, but the protagonist ends up in L.A. in the 1920s where he hopes for a break as a film actor. Things aren't going so well though, and he is forced to pawn his watch.

Which leads us to my little problem: In Mann's book, he goes to a "Goan-office". Obviously a typo for loan office I thought (still think, actually), but the spelling turns up twice, and so I want to make sure about the existence of "goan offices"...

I've drawn blanks in the OED and on the Internet, but MRers can't be beat, so I thought I'd ask here as well.

j.p.s · 03-10-2020, 03:34 PM

Never heard of goan-office, but I can't say loan-office is familiar. Probably pawn shop.

doubleshuffle · 03-10-2020, 03:52 PM

Thanks.

Yes, the guy is definitely going to a pawn shop, but that's not what "goan office" could be a typo for. And, though the OED has it only with other meanings, I did come across "loan office" as a synonym for pawn shop somewhere when I searched for it online.

j.p.s · 03-10-2020, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doubleshuffle

Yes, the guy is definitely going to a pawn shop, but that's not what "goan office" could be a typo for. And, though the OED has it only with other meanings, I did come across "loan office" as a synonym for pawn shop somewhere when I searched for it online.

I should have done a search. Yeah, loan office seems to be part of the business name for a huge number of pawn shops.

doubleshuffle · 03-10-2020, 04:14 PM

So loan office will probably be what the author had in mind, right?

j.p.s · 03-10-2020, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doubleshuffle

So loan office will probably be what the author had in mind, right?

According to https://www.thefreedictionary.com/loan+office
yes.

doubleshuffle · 03-10-2020, 04:47 PM

Brilliant. Thanks a lot!

03-10-2020, 12:38 PM	#1
doubleshuffle Unicycle Daredevil Posts: 13,940 Karma: 185392166 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Planet of the Pudding Brains Device: Aura HD (R.I.P. After six years the USB socket died.) tolino shine 3	Help with English please I'm preparing a book by German writer Klaus Mann. The book is in German, but the protagonist ends up in L.A. in the 1920s where he hopes for a break as a film actor. Things aren't going so well though, and he is forced to pawn his watch. Which leads us to my little problem: In Mann's book, he goes to a "Goan-office". Obviously a typo for loan office I thought (still think, actually), but the spelling turns up twice, and so I want to make sure about the existence of "goan offices"... I've drawn blanks in the OED and on the Internet, but MRers can't be beat, so I thought I'd ask here as well.

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03-10-2020, 03:34 PM	#2
j.p.s Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,517 Karma: 100606001 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: pb360	Never heard of goan-office, but I can't say loan-office is familiar. Probably pawn shop.

03-10-2020, 03:52 PM	#3
doubleshuffle Unicycle Daredevil Posts: 13,940 Karma: 185392166 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Planet of the Pudding Brains Device: Aura HD (R.I.P. After six years the USB socket died.) tolino shine 3	Thanks. Yes, the guy is definitely going to a pawn shop, but that's not what "goan office" could be a typo for. And, though the OED has it only with other meanings, I did come across "loan office" as a synonym for pawn shop somewhere when I searched for it online.

03-10-2020, 04:14 PM	#5
doubleshuffle Unicycle Daredevil Posts: 13,940 Karma: 185392166 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Planet of the Pudding Brains Device: Aura HD (R.I.P. After six years the USB socket died.) tolino shine 3	So loan office will probably be what the author had in mind, right?

03-10-2020, 04:47 PM	#7
doubleshuffle Unicycle Daredevil Posts: 13,940 Karma: 185392166 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Planet of the Pudding Brains Device: Aura HD (R.I.P. After six years the USB socket died.) tolino shine 3	Brilliant. Thanks a lot!