turn it into an appetizer

01:38 Sep 25, 2017 

Thank you for your recommendation! I think these works are amazing and will read them when I have time.

10:39 Sep 24, 2017 

Thank you, and anytime.

I seem to remember you asking about Frank Herbert's books at one point; great series of novels. Maybe you want to take a look at David Brin's Uplift trilogies:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Brin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uplift_Universe

They're rich in vocabulary and story; different angle too, I think, because he has a science background (astrophysicist). One review of the more recent trilogy: http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/nonfiction/heaven.htm

Enjoy your weekend

23:52 Sep 23, 2017 

I think it's very clear now. Thanks a lot! You're very helpful!

16:17 Sep 23, 2017 

The phrase "spit out information" almost certainly means "display" in any given context, not "accept."

Would help to see what his computer looks like--I'd have thought the machine would scan a cube, as it's not a memory card ("feed to," IMO, can mean both), but I don't want to make this confusing.

Ever tried to retrieve data from CDs/drives using different devices? Considering the machine is old, I'd have thought this was the case here, but I think I've overlooked something. I get now what Phil was saying. He should have not doubled down on the many it's in that sentence =)

Without "it":
1) Private detective gets two cubes.

2) Puts second cube (contains the information) into machine.

3) Machine spits out cube--immediately. It does not mean "fail to receive the info," but it did not accept the cube in the first place (similar to a CD being ejected outright).

4) Puts cube into "broken-down" computer again and waits to make sure the cube doesn't get stuck. I think Phil means "it" = the cube can no longer be retrieved. He waits before sitting down again to make sure nothing goes wrong.

5) Sits down and begins "sifting through the data."

Is that a bit clearer?

Best

12:50 Sep 23, 2017 

Thank you for your detailed reply! So "spit out information" means that the computer accepted/displayed the info. Am I right?
But I still cannot figure out why "make sure the machine wasn't going to turn it into an appetizer" means "make sure he really got all the information from it".

12:01 Sep 23, 2017 

Having worked in IT, I'm pretty familiar with the phrase "spit out information" and while the second "it" could refer to the info, not the cube, that may be suggesting too much.

Actually, he receives two cubes from the lady, one with the son's picture on it and one with the info about friends, etc.

So he feeds the second cube to the computer. "It spits it out." He puts the cube in again, so as to make sure he really got all the information from it--"appetizer" as in:
"something that stimulates a desire for more a literary appetizer hoped that the short trip would be an appetizer for longer ones"
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appetizer

It makes sense here; the lady calls the computer an "old broken-down machine." You see, the guy is asking her all these questions she doesn't really want to answer and the only thing she leaves behind is a lot of money and a cube with a bunch of names, telling him before she goes through the door that he shouldn't disappoint her. So he wants to make sure he retrieved everything he could from the cube..

22:50 Sep 22, 2017 

In this context, I think both "spit it out" and "turn it into an appetizer" mean "fail to receiving the info". Am I right?

22:33 Sep 22, 2017 

Thank you for your suggestion. But if you agreed with philgoddard that "turn it into an appetizer" means "eat it" or "swallow it" so "can't be retrieved", I don't think here "eat it" is equal to "accept it".

16:15 Sep 22, 2017 

'Spit it out' and 'eat it' are used as a joke. They mean 'reject it' and 'accept it' but you need to try to reflect the joke in the translation.