GR translation: The wind hardly flickers
David Morris
fqmorris at gmail.com
Mon May 16 05:16:39 UTC 2022
The significance of using “flicker” to depict air movements is that the
word USUALLY (almost always) refers to *light*. And wind disturbing a
flame is the usual cause of the flickering of the light.
On Mon, May 16, 2022 at 1:11 AM Mike Jing <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com>
wrote:
> Thanks, David.
>
> I found this in OED:
>
> 3a. . . . Of wind: To blow in light gusts.
>
> I think I get it now.
>
>
> On Sat, May 14, 2022 at 11:15 PM David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> To “flicker” is “ to make small, quick movements; flutter rapidly: “her
>> eyelids flickered"
>>
>> So for the wind to barely flicker would mean it is barely making small
>> quick movement. But a candle or small flame is said to flicker with a
>> light movement of air. Flickering is usually a visual phenomenon of
>> movement. For air to flicker, it would have to be observed by touch. And
>> air movement is commonly likened to the touch of an invisible spirit,
>> ghost. So the phrase carries a tinge of a haunted house feeling.
>>
>>
>> On Sat, May 14, 2022 at 10:57 PM Mike Jing <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> V42.12-13, P43.7-8 It’s raining. The wind hardly flickers. It brings a
>>> scent he finds strange, never having been near a laboratory in his life.
>>>
>>> What does "The wind hardly flickers" mean here?
>>
>>
>>> --
>>> Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
>>>
>>
More information about the Pynchon-l
mailing list