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Here is the context from a novel 'Angels and Demons' by Dan Brown. I know 'sold' is the past tense of sell, but here, I think the word has another meaning.

Vittoria sounded only slightly more hopeful. "I suppose Galileo could have created some sort of mathematical code that went unnoticed by the clergy." "You don't sound sold," Langdon said, moving down the row.

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  • 1
    For the record, it’s standard English style to italicize (or underline, when hand-writing) the titles of books, such as Angels and Demons. (And on Stack Exchange, you can italicize by surrounding the text with asterisks *.)
    – KRyan
    Oct 5, 2015 at 17:01
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    @KRyan the wonderful thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from.
    – Gusdor
    Oct 6, 2015 at 7:07
  • If he was trying to sell her the idea, and she bought it, then she would be sold (as would the idea), but she doesn't sound like she bought it.
    – Octopus
    Oct 6, 2015 at 7:48
  • @KRyan Quotation marks are a perfectly reasonable way to set titles. Oct 6, 2015 at 10:02

2 Answers 2

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"You don't sound convinced" is a clearer expression of the ideas, but sold is a colloquialism.

One trying to persuade another of an idea can be said to be selling the idea. If a person doesn't sound sold [on it] then they haven't bought it, and don't accept it enough to make a commitment.

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Sold in this context means:

uncritically attached to or enthusiastic about

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/sold

It's often used in the form sold on as in:

I'm sold on the idea.

Langdon is saying that Vittoria is not yet willing to accept his statement as true. She might at some point in the future, but would require more convincing.

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