moving through a straw

[albatross521]

From million-dollar-baby,

"... maybe the kind that operates moving through the straw".

What does it mean?

[Jay_Jay]

Depends upon the context really. What was the character referring to?

[albatross521]

a wheel chair,

[Jay_Jay]

A wheel-chair!? ( I haven't seen this particular film.) But I would guess he or she was talking about one which moves smoothly and slickly. Obviously an Americanism and one which I haven't heard used before.

[albatross521]

thank Jay-jay.
That's a fantastic movie.

[Jay_Jay]

Don't quote me, A. May be WAY off the mark !

[dr john]

Probably refers to a wheelchair of the type used by tetraplegics, operated by using a suck/blow switch which looks like a drinking straw (see Christopher Walken as The Man With The Plan in 'Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead').

[albatross521]

Thanks Dr John,
I think you are most probably right.

[Jay_Jay]

See, told you I was off the mark ( ! )

[Jay_Jay]

There's the Americanism: The wheel-chair moves "through" a straw. In other words ( as Dr John says ) it moves BY the use of a 'straw'.