I have a question about the following sentences from a novel.

" It's normal, all right. Ever think about how much fun it is to face a hundred tanks? You did notice that they all carry five-inch guns? Then think about the artillery support they get. Then think about the aircraft. The Russians are real believers in this combined-arms stuff. When they come at you, they come with the whole inventory . They have this set-piece stuff down cold. "
("Red Storm Rising" by Tom Clancy)

context (or situation): 1) At Norfolk, Virginia
2) Two persons of U.S. Intelligence are watching the Moscow television news program, which is showing the Soviet army's exercise. in which a whole regiment of tanks is advancing across a flat landscape.
3) One asked, "The exercise look normal ?", and the other, well versed in Russia, answered, "It's normal, all right.

question: about "They have this set-piece stuff down cold. "
A dictionary of mine says: "set-piece" means "any carefully planned sequence of operations, especially as part of a military operation." Does this definition apply here?

Entirely I can't make sense of this phrase.

On Friday, April 8, 2022 at 6:55:21 AM UTC-4, tonbei wrote:
> I have a question about the following sentences from a novel.
>
> " It's normal, all right. Ever think about how much fun it is to face a hundred tanks? You did notice that they all carry five-inch guns? Then think about the artillery support they get. Then think about the aircraft. The Russians are real believers in this combined-arms stuff. When they come at you, they come with the whole inventory . They have this set-piece stuff down cold. "
> ("Red Storm Rising" by Tom Clancy)
>
>
> context (or situation): 1) At Norfolk, Virginia
> 2) Two persons of U.S. Intelligence are watching the Moscow television news program, which is showing the Soviet army's exercise. in which a whole regiment of tanks is advancing across a flat landscape.
> 3) One asked, "The exercise look normal ?", and the other, well versed in Russia, answered, "It's normal, all right.
>
> question: about "They have this set-piece stuff down cold. "
> A dictionary of mine says: "set-piece" means "any carefully planned sequence of operations, especially as part of a military operation." Does this definition apply here?
>
> Entirely I can't make sense of this phrase.

Is it the "down cold" that's the problem?

"Set piece" comes from the theater. Like it says, familiar, well-rehearsed.
Not a particularly smart practice in battle, probably -- there's a scene in
the movie *Patton* where General Patton has just defeated Rommel's
forces in North Africa and yells at the retreating Germans, "I read your
book, you bastard!" -- i.e., Rommel publicized what his strategy would be.

On 4/8/2022 6:55 AM, tonbei wrote:

> I have a question about the following sentences from a novel.

> " It's normal, all right. Ever think about how much fun it is to face
> a hundred tanks? You did notice that they all carry five-inch guns?
> Then think about the artillery support they get. Then think about the
> aircraft. The Russians are real believers in this combined-arms
> stuff. When they come at you, they come with the whole inventory .
> They have this set-piece stuff down cold." ("Red Storm Rising" by Tom
> Clancy)

> context (or situation): 1) At Norfolk, Virginia 2) Two persons of
> U.S. Intelligence are watching the Moscow television news program,
> which is showing the Soviet army's exercise. in which a whole
> regiment of tanks is advancing across a flat landscape. 3) One asked,
> "The exercise look normal ?", and the other, well versed in Russia,
> answered, "It's normal, all right.

> question: about "They have this set-piece stuff down cold. " A
> dictionary of mine says: "set-piece" means "any carefully planned
> sequence of operations, especially as part of a military operation."
> Does this definition apply here?

> Entirely I can't make sense of this phrase.

Presumably the "planned sequence of operations" was the co-ordinated
deployment of tanks, airplanes, and artillery.

"To have something down cold" is to be very familiar with it, to
understand it, to do it well.

tonbei <autosu@infoseek.jp> wrote:

> I have a question about the following sentences from a novel.
>
> " It's normal, all right. Ever think about how much fun it is to face a
> hundred tanks? You did notice that they all carry five-inch guns? Then
> think about the artillery support they get. Then think about the aircraft.
> The Russians are real believers in this combined-arms stuff. When they
> come at you, they come with the whole inventory . They have this set-piece
> stuff down cold. " ("Red Storm Rising" by Tom Clancy)

Ah, nostalgia of it.
Those were the days when it was still believed
that those incredibly dangerous Russians would do everything just right.

So, advice, forget about Tom Clancy.
There is much better stuff to read,

Jan

>
> So, advice, forget about Tom Clancy.
> There is much better stuff to read,
>
> Jan

I understand what you're saying, and also a pleasure or even a merit of reading old novels is in to see how things have changed or become different or improved or degraded from when they were written. To perceive how common senses have changed.

On Saturday, April 9, 2022 at 3:14:19 AM UTC+1, tonbei wrote:
> >
> > So, advice, forget about Tom Clancy.
> > There is much better stuff to read,
> >
> > Jan
> I understand what you're saying, and also a pleasure or even a merit of reading old novels is in to see how things have changed or become different or improved or degraded from when they were written. To perceive how common senses have changed.

You should read what you enjoy, not what other people tell you
is appropriate or suitable.

We don't have: "They have this set-piece stuff down cold" in my BrE.
"They have this set-piece stuff off pat" means exactly the same thing.

On 2022-04-09 09:45, spains...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Saturday, April 9, 2022 at 3:14:19 AM UTC+1, tonbei wrote:
>>>
>>> So, advice, forget about Tom Clancy.
>>> There is much better stuff to read,
>>>
>>> Jan
>> I understand what you're saying, and also a pleasure or even a merit of reading old novels is in to see how things have changed or become different or improved or degraded from when they were written. To perceive how common senses have changed.
>
> You should read what you enjoy, not what other people tell you
> is appropriate or suitable.
>
> We don't have: "They have this set-piece stuff down cold" in my BrE.
> "They have this set-piece stuff off pat" means exactly the same thing.

It definitely would cause confusion in AmE or CanE.

We would say "We have this ... down pat".

Old joke...

Richard Nixon took his wife to see /Deep Throat/ seven times, but he
still couldn't get it down Pat.