A couple idioms: please help a foreign reader

[Monty Python he/him]

Hey guys!

 

I am a big fan of Brandon's works. I don't live in an English-speaking country and not all of his works are currently translated into my native langiage, so I have to read them in English.

Reading Skin Deep I had a few moments where neither online nor offline dictionaries could help me catch a picture. I appreciate if anyone of you can explain the following words/idioms.

 

First the title of the book itself - Skin Deep. I know that the general meaning is superficial, on the surface, external, outward, shallow, empty, meaningless, but I didn't quite understand how it correlates with a story.

 

Second:

As Sylvia noticed me looking at her, she plastered on a smile as fake as red dye #6.

 

What is exactly that red dye #6? Why is it supposed to be fake? Is there some direct meaning or not?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Guest]

Welcome to 17s! Have an upvote!

Red dye #6 is a food additive used (at least) in America that changes the color of food. It's added to make certain foods which would naturally be colorless or unattractive look better. Like hot dogs, for example. Juice. Pretty much anything that has a deep-red looking color and is prepackaged (or really any color or any shade that looks unnatural) has been dyed one color or another. Red is not the only color used by manufacturers.

Brandon was likely referring to the fake-looking colors of fruit juice that we have in America. He could have been referring to really any dyed food, but the juice seems the most obvious to me.

Any follow-up questions?

Or completely unrelated questions? I love love love explaining idioms.

[Monty Python he/him]

Thanks, Snoopy 

 

Any follow-up questions?

 

 

 

Actualy, the first question about the title still remains.

Edited February 7, 2015 by Monty Python

[Guest]

I haven't read the book, so I'm afraid I can't help you there. My one idea off the top of my head is that it could have to do with character development. Again, I have no clue because I haven't read it. Someone will probably come along to this thread that has though, so I'm sure you'll get your question answered.

[Topomouse he/him]

I think the title refers to the technology that is the center of the plot that allows people to use their body as data storage.

[Guest]

Thanks for the spoiler tag that you put in there.^

[WeiryWriter he/him]

Thanks for the spoiler tag that you put in there.^

 

This thread /is/ in the Skin Deep spoiler forum, it's not necessary here.

[Guest]

*facepalm*

I didn't even check before I clicked the new topics button.

[Topomouse he/him]

I have to say I didn't notice that i was in the spoiler board either, but what I wrote gets explained in chapter 5, it's really the beginning of the story. I didn't think it would be much of a spoiler.

[vineyarddawg]

To answer the question about the actual meaning of idiom... saying something is only "skin deep" implies that it's only superficial, without larger meaning.  Hence the saying, "Beauty is only skin deep."

 

Obviously, that's not really describing the case, since it turns out that Panos was working on something far more detailed (and meaningful in a positive societal way) than anybody knew. (Though it did turn out that he used bacteria on the skin as his transmission method... so the answer that Stephen was looking for literally only went skin deep.  That's probably what the actual reference means.)