engineering was engineering

English translation: engineering was engineering

08:39 Oct 2, 2019
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
English term or phrase: engineering was engineering
Context:
His name was Mr Pony, and he was the Trunk’s chief engineer. He’d come with the company, and had hung on because at the age of fifty-eight, with twinges in your knuckles, a sick wife and a bad back, you think twice about grand gestures such as storming out. He hadn’t seen a clacks until three years ago, when the first company was founded, but he was methodical and *engineering was engineering*.

More context, please click:
https://archive.org/stream/TheNewDiscworldCompanion/Book 33 ...
--quoted from Going Postal (2004, fantasy fiction) by Terry Pratchett

Here, Trunk and clacks are similar to the combination of telegraph & network in reality.
Does "engineering was engineering" mean that "methodical", instead of "creative" (apparently Pony was not a creative person), was enough for engineering.
Thank you!
updownK
China
Local time: 20:52
Selected answer:engineering was engineering
Explanation:
Basically, it means that if you're an engineer it doesn't matter whether you're working on a car, a fridge or a bridge: the bits will fit together in a specific way and any engineer can make it work, in theory at least (relevant training helps!).
Selected response from:

Charlotte Fleming
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:52
Grading comment
Thanks a lot!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +7engineering was engineering
Charlotte Fleming


  

Answers


27 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +7
engineering was engineering


Explanation:
Basically, it means that if you're an engineer it doesn't matter whether you're working on a car, a fridge or a bridge: the bits will fit together in a specific way and any engineer can make it work, in theory at least (relevant training helps!).

Charlotte Fleming
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:52
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks a lot!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  philgoddard
4 mins

agree  MJ Barber
18 mins

agree  B D Finch: Yes, it seems to be intended as representing his own assessment of his competence.
34 mins

agree  James A. Walsh
40 mins

agree  AJ Ablooglu
1 hr

agree  Tony M: 'transferable skills'
4 hrs

agree  Aline Amorim
16 hrs
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