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So we walk into the pool area and he starts looking around at all the hedges.
So I'm like, “May I ask what this is about?” and he chuckles and says, “The guy across the street called the station because he says you skinny-dip every morning, and, well... not to put too fine a point on it, but he’s sick of seeing you naked.”
Well, you could've knocked me over with a feather. I wasn't offended — I was more confused than anything; how in the world could anybody possibly see me with all these hedges? And the police officer was visibly as confused as I was.
“Officer, look around. There’s no way anybody can see me. Was he drunk when he called?”
So he’s like, “Beats me. I’m going to talk to him next. I just wanted to check the place out and get the lay of the land before I head over there.”
A half hour later, he was back.
not to put to fine a point on it, but... | This idiom is used to warn the listener that you're about to speak frankly and bluntly — usually to say something strong, possibly embarrassing or critical. As such, it has a nuance of «Pardon me for being so direct/harsh, but...». By definition, an idiom is an expression whose meaning can't easily be understood just from the words it contains, but I can explain this one: if we compare a frank, direct statement to a sharp weapon that can "pierce", it's easy to work out the meaning behind this idiom: «sorry to make the point/tip of this statement so sharp, but...».
to skinny-dip | to swim naked
beats me | This expression is simply a slang way of saying I have no idea.
to get the lay of the land | This expression has a direct and a figurative meaning. The direct meaning is to acquaint or familiarize oneself with the an area. The figurative meaning is one of getting all the details in any situation, to learn how things are done in a new workplace, for instance.
When I first arrived in Paris, it took me a couple of days to get the lay of the land. Now I can go anywhere on the metro just like a native.
more confused than anything | Of all the possible emotions I could've felt at that comment, what I felt most was actually confused. This pattern is often used to clarify one's feelings where one would logically expect a certain reaction to a situation, but actually and surprisingly feels another.
When my cake won the baking contest, I was happy, sure, but I was more surprised than anything; I thought some of the other cakes looked so much better than mine. But I guess it came down to taste in the end. And mine slapped!
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