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The word "hackneyed" here means
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"Used by so many writers,
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it is a tiresome cliché,"
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while "meanwhile back at the ranch" is a phrase used to link
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what is going on in one part of a story with another part,
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and has nothing to do with cows or creamy salad dressing.
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When I say, "meanwhile back at the ranch,"
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what I mean is, meanwhile, back in the Reptile Room,
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the adults were having an adult conversation.
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If we place the peaches in a line leading up to the cage,
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perhaps the snake will
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follow the trail and then we can trap it inside.