What does "Dexter had poked her when they were student" mean in the context below?

Question

Doctor Fox looked at Elizabeth as he chewed, and nodded and smiled.

She must be nearly forty now, like Dex. Thank God they were never foolish

enough to marry, though no doubt Dexter had poked her when they were

students. He felt like laughing. She was quite plainly not the marrying kind?

Does it mean "dexter had a romantic relationship with her when they were student"?

Or does it mean "Dexter hit her when they were students"?

busterwasmycat · Accepted Answer

It could be used euphemistically, to mean engage in sex, but I do not think that is its intended use.  I think it is more an idea of pushed her toward that (getting married), to poke, to raise repeatedly (bordering on annoyingly) in order to get a response.

It is like poke can be used as a passive-aggressive drawing of attention to a thing.  It isn't an attack, it is a poke, a nudge.  You could use "Nudge" instead of poke in this example and have almost the very same meaning.

I get the idea that Dexter had pushed for marriage, and likely on several occasions, rather than the Doctor is imagining that Dexter imposed himself on her sexually.  And it is definitely not intended to mean any physical attack.

What does "Dexter had poked her when they were student" mean in the context below?

1 Answer