I scratched my head in understanding the meaning of the following passage in the article titled, “The tragedy of Ferguson” of Time magazine (September 1 issue). [Some excerpts appear at mediabistro.com, and a teaser at time.com.]
“Ferguson is no longer just the name of a township. It has become a
stern lesson in the value of public trust – the city learned too late
that the well was dry – and a painfully familiar one. When the shots
rang out on Aug 9, the usual figures assumed the customary positions.
Al Sharpton? Check. Cable-news anchors? Check. Activist in Guy Fawkes
masks? Check."
What does “the well was dry” mean? What does "well" account for?
Additionally, What does “Check” mean? Does it mean “Yes / Possible”?
Best Answer
"The well ran dry" is a metaphor that means you have run out of something, originating from the idea that a well, where people bring up water from, can run out of water, i.e. run dry.
Saying "the well was dry" in your excerpt is indicating that the well of public trust has run dry. So, the public no longer trusts the officials who run the city.
"Check" is a noun, a verbal representation of the mark that would be made against a list. The writer is going through a list of "the usual figures" who "assumed the customary positions" and confirming their existence and that they're acting as they have before.
Thanks to jwpat97 and Robusto for the corrections.