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What is the meaning of the simile “quick as silk”?
Announcing the arrival of Valued Associate #679: Cesar Manara
Planned maintenance scheduled April 17/18, 2019 at 00:00UTC (8:00pm US/Eastern)What is the meaning of “For Good”?What is the meaning of the idiom “blanket judgment”?What is the meaning of 'Don't take for granted'?What's the meaning of “break your legs”?What's the meaning “ the trade has a golden foundation ”?What does “quick on his toes” mean?Usage of 'quick' as adverbWhat is the meaning of “study-gorges ”?What is the metaphorical meaning of “hover between red and black”?What does “a quick conception of all” mean?
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It seems that the Internet is unhelpful at all. The original quote, where this simile appears, is:
“Once upon a time,” began Frank switching, quick as silk, to a
sonorous story-telling voice...
The full story may be checked on Google Books, from page 419 of Mammoth Deception (2013) by Aleta Whitaker.
phrase-meaning idioms
add a comment |
It seems that the Internet is unhelpful at all. The original quote, where this simile appears, is:
“Once upon a time,” began Frank switching, quick as silk, to a
sonorous story-telling voice...
The full story may be checked on Google Books, from page 419 of Mammoth Deception (2013) by Aleta Whitaker.
phrase-meaning idioms
add a comment |
It seems that the Internet is unhelpful at all. The original quote, where this simile appears, is:
“Once upon a time,” began Frank switching, quick as silk, to a
sonorous story-telling voice...
The full story may be checked on Google Books, from page 419 of Mammoth Deception (2013) by Aleta Whitaker.
phrase-meaning idioms
It seems that the Internet is unhelpful at all. The original quote, where this simile appears, is:
“Once upon a time,” began Frank switching, quick as silk, to a
sonorous story-telling voice...
The full story may be checked on Google Books, from page 419 of Mammoth Deception (2013) by Aleta Whitaker.
phrase-meaning idioms
phrase-meaning idioms
edited 6 hours ago
choster
14.6k3664
14.6k3664
asked 7 hours ago
ArtyomArtyom
595
595
add a comment |
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
I think the cited usage is something of a malapropism / mixed metaphor. It should be one of either...
switching, [as] quick as a flash [to something else]
OR
switching, [as] smooth as silk [to something else]
Note that both the above expressions occur many times in Google Books (which I've linked to). But there are virtually no instances of quick as silk or smooth as a flash
Obviously there's often a difference between doing something quickly and doing it smoothly, but in the exact context they're much the same. It's possible the writer was being deliberately quirky by mixing up the two expressions (perhaps in order to force the reader to explicitly recognise both nuances). But I kinda doubt it - most likely it's just a "mistake".
add a comment |
It is almost certainly a mistake, as the expression "quick as silk" not only makes no sense (silk has no speed) but it cannot be found anywhere else.
This is not strictly a "malapropism", as it is unlikely one would hear "flash" and think it was "silk". A malapropism is when someone gets an idiom wrong by substituting a similar sounding word, eg "he danced the flamingo" (instead of "flamenco").
Neither it is a "mixed metaphor", as this is a statement that contains two incompatible comparisons, for example "we need to iron out the bugs" (who irons bugs? It should be iron out the creases or crush the bugs).
I think what you have on your hands is a Malaphor - an incorrect mixture of two idioms, or clichés, also called an idiom blend.
Quick as a wink and quick as a whip are somewhat similar-sounding clichés. I thought this might have been a literary usage of quick in the archaic sense of liveliness, referring to the shimmering of silk, but after researching the author some, that may be giving her too much credit.
– choster
6 hours ago
1
Just on the off-chance, I checked out Google Books for as quick as ninepence. As expected, there were a handful of results, but they're dwarfed by thousands of hits for the "correct" version as right as ninepence. Would I call that a "blend"? No - I'd say it's never a "deliberate" usage. It's just a mistake.
– FumbleFingers
6 hours ago
@choster: It's usually as smart as a whip (but quick isn't totally unknown).
– FumbleFingers
6 hours ago
...I even found one instance of as ripe as ninepence. But glancing at the surrounding text, I'd be quite prepared to believe that one was a deliberately facetious "mangling".
– FumbleFingers
5 hours ago
1
"Quick as silk" also found at.... wintertangerine.com/wang-wu-daozi-dreaming ...... Not that that makes it a recognized idiom,...just sayin'.
– Lorel C.
4 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
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2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
I think the cited usage is something of a malapropism / mixed metaphor. It should be one of either...
switching, [as] quick as a flash [to something else]
OR
switching, [as] smooth as silk [to something else]
Note that both the above expressions occur many times in Google Books (which I've linked to). But there are virtually no instances of quick as silk or smooth as a flash
Obviously there's often a difference between doing something quickly and doing it smoothly, but in the exact context they're much the same. It's possible the writer was being deliberately quirky by mixing up the two expressions (perhaps in order to force the reader to explicitly recognise both nuances). But I kinda doubt it - most likely it's just a "mistake".
add a comment |
I think the cited usage is something of a malapropism / mixed metaphor. It should be one of either...
switching, [as] quick as a flash [to something else]
OR
switching, [as] smooth as silk [to something else]
Note that both the above expressions occur many times in Google Books (which I've linked to). But there are virtually no instances of quick as silk or smooth as a flash
Obviously there's often a difference between doing something quickly and doing it smoothly, but in the exact context they're much the same. It's possible the writer was being deliberately quirky by mixing up the two expressions (perhaps in order to force the reader to explicitly recognise both nuances). But I kinda doubt it - most likely it's just a "mistake".
add a comment |
I think the cited usage is something of a malapropism / mixed metaphor. It should be one of either...
switching, [as] quick as a flash [to something else]
OR
switching, [as] smooth as silk [to something else]
Note that both the above expressions occur many times in Google Books (which I've linked to). But there are virtually no instances of quick as silk or smooth as a flash
Obviously there's often a difference between doing something quickly and doing it smoothly, but in the exact context they're much the same. It's possible the writer was being deliberately quirky by mixing up the two expressions (perhaps in order to force the reader to explicitly recognise both nuances). But I kinda doubt it - most likely it's just a "mistake".
I think the cited usage is something of a malapropism / mixed metaphor. It should be one of either...
switching, [as] quick as a flash [to something else]
OR
switching, [as] smooth as silk [to something else]
Note that both the above expressions occur many times in Google Books (which I've linked to). But there are virtually no instances of quick as silk or smooth as a flash
Obviously there's often a difference between doing something quickly and doing it smoothly, but in the exact context they're much the same. It's possible the writer was being deliberately quirky by mixing up the two expressions (perhaps in order to force the reader to explicitly recognise both nuances). But I kinda doubt it - most likely it's just a "mistake".
edited 6 hours ago
answered 6 hours ago
FumbleFingersFumbleFingers
46.6k156125
46.6k156125
add a comment |
add a comment |
It is almost certainly a mistake, as the expression "quick as silk" not only makes no sense (silk has no speed) but it cannot be found anywhere else.
This is not strictly a "malapropism", as it is unlikely one would hear "flash" and think it was "silk". A malapropism is when someone gets an idiom wrong by substituting a similar sounding word, eg "he danced the flamingo" (instead of "flamenco").
Neither it is a "mixed metaphor", as this is a statement that contains two incompatible comparisons, for example "we need to iron out the bugs" (who irons bugs? It should be iron out the creases or crush the bugs).
I think what you have on your hands is a Malaphor - an incorrect mixture of two idioms, or clichés, also called an idiom blend.
Quick as a wink and quick as a whip are somewhat similar-sounding clichés. I thought this might have been a literary usage of quick in the archaic sense of liveliness, referring to the shimmering of silk, but after researching the author some, that may be giving her too much credit.
– choster
6 hours ago
1
Just on the off-chance, I checked out Google Books for as quick as ninepence. As expected, there were a handful of results, but they're dwarfed by thousands of hits for the "correct" version as right as ninepence. Would I call that a "blend"? No - I'd say it's never a "deliberate" usage. It's just a mistake.
– FumbleFingers
6 hours ago
@choster: It's usually as smart as a whip (but quick isn't totally unknown).
– FumbleFingers
6 hours ago
...I even found one instance of as ripe as ninepence. But glancing at the surrounding text, I'd be quite prepared to believe that one was a deliberately facetious "mangling".
– FumbleFingers
5 hours ago
1
"Quick as silk" also found at.... wintertangerine.com/wang-wu-daozi-dreaming ...... Not that that makes it a recognized idiom,...just sayin'.
– Lorel C.
4 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
It is almost certainly a mistake, as the expression "quick as silk" not only makes no sense (silk has no speed) but it cannot be found anywhere else.
This is not strictly a "malapropism", as it is unlikely one would hear "flash" and think it was "silk". A malapropism is when someone gets an idiom wrong by substituting a similar sounding word, eg "he danced the flamingo" (instead of "flamenco").
Neither it is a "mixed metaphor", as this is a statement that contains two incompatible comparisons, for example "we need to iron out the bugs" (who irons bugs? It should be iron out the creases or crush the bugs).
I think what you have on your hands is a Malaphor - an incorrect mixture of two idioms, or clichés, also called an idiom blend.
Quick as a wink and quick as a whip are somewhat similar-sounding clichés. I thought this might have been a literary usage of quick in the archaic sense of liveliness, referring to the shimmering of silk, but after researching the author some, that may be giving her too much credit.
– choster
6 hours ago
1
Just on the off-chance, I checked out Google Books for as quick as ninepence. As expected, there were a handful of results, but they're dwarfed by thousands of hits for the "correct" version as right as ninepence. Would I call that a "blend"? No - I'd say it's never a "deliberate" usage. It's just a mistake.
– FumbleFingers
6 hours ago
@choster: It's usually as smart as a whip (but quick isn't totally unknown).
– FumbleFingers
6 hours ago
...I even found one instance of as ripe as ninepence. But glancing at the surrounding text, I'd be quite prepared to believe that one was a deliberately facetious "mangling".
– FumbleFingers
5 hours ago
1
"Quick as silk" also found at.... wintertangerine.com/wang-wu-daozi-dreaming ...... Not that that makes it a recognized idiom,...just sayin'.
– Lorel C.
4 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
It is almost certainly a mistake, as the expression "quick as silk" not only makes no sense (silk has no speed) but it cannot be found anywhere else.
This is not strictly a "malapropism", as it is unlikely one would hear "flash" and think it was "silk". A malapropism is when someone gets an idiom wrong by substituting a similar sounding word, eg "he danced the flamingo" (instead of "flamenco").
Neither it is a "mixed metaphor", as this is a statement that contains two incompatible comparisons, for example "we need to iron out the bugs" (who irons bugs? It should be iron out the creases or crush the bugs).
I think what you have on your hands is a Malaphor - an incorrect mixture of two idioms, or clichés, also called an idiom blend.
It is almost certainly a mistake, as the expression "quick as silk" not only makes no sense (silk has no speed) but it cannot be found anywhere else.
This is not strictly a "malapropism", as it is unlikely one would hear "flash" and think it was "silk". A malapropism is when someone gets an idiom wrong by substituting a similar sounding word, eg "he danced the flamingo" (instead of "flamenco").
Neither it is a "mixed metaphor", as this is a statement that contains two incompatible comparisons, for example "we need to iron out the bugs" (who irons bugs? It should be iron out the creases or crush the bugs).
I think what you have on your hands is a Malaphor - an incorrect mixture of two idioms, or clichés, also called an idiom blend.
answered 6 hours ago
AstralbeeAstralbee
15.3k1655
15.3k1655
Quick as a wink and quick as a whip are somewhat similar-sounding clichés. I thought this might have been a literary usage of quick in the archaic sense of liveliness, referring to the shimmering of silk, but after researching the author some, that may be giving her too much credit.
– choster
6 hours ago
1
Just on the off-chance, I checked out Google Books for as quick as ninepence. As expected, there were a handful of results, but they're dwarfed by thousands of hits for the "correct" version as right as ninepence. Would I call that a "blend"? No - I'd say it's never a "deliberate" usage. It's just a mistake.
– FumbleFingers
6 hours ago
@choster: It's usually as smart as a whip (but quick isn't totally unknown).
– FumbleFingers
6 hours ago
...I even found one instance of as ripe as ninepence. But glancing at the surrounding text, I'd be quite prepared to believe that one was a deliberately facetious "mangling".
– FumbleFingers
5 hours ago
1
"Quick as silk" also found at.... wintertangerine.com/wang-wu-daozi-dreaming ...... Not that that makes it a recognized idiom,...just sayin'.
– Lorel C.
4 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
Quick as a wink and quick as a whip are somewhat similar-sounding clichés. I thought this might have been a literary usage of quick in the archaic sense of liveliness, referring to the shimmering of silk, but after researching the author some, that may be giving her too much credit.
– choster
6 hours ago
1
Just on the off-chance, I checked out Google Books for as quick as ninepence. As expected, there were a handful of results, but they're dwarfed by thousands of hits for the "correct" version as right as ninepence. Would I call that a "blend"? No - I'd say it's never a "deliberate" usage. It's just a mistake.
– FumbleFingers
6 hours ago
@choster: It's usually as smart as a whip (but quick isn't totally unknown).
– FumbleFingers
6 hours ago
...I even found one instance of as ripe as ninepence. But glancing at the surrounding text, I'd be quite prepared to believe that one was a deliberately facetious "mangling".
– FumbleFingers
5 hours ago
1
"Quick as silk" also found at.... wintertangerine.com/wang-wu-daozi-dreaming ...... Not that that makes it a recognized idiom,...just sayin'.
– Lorel C.
4 hours ago
Quick as a wink and quick as a whip are somewhat similar-sounding clichés. I thought this might have been a literary usage of quick in the archaic sense of liveliness, referring to the shimmering of silk, but after researching the author some, that may be giving her too much credit.
– choster
6 hours ago
Quick as a wink and quick as a whip are somewhat similar-sounding clichés. I thought this might have been a literary usage of quick in the archaic sense of liveliness, referring to the shimmering of silk, but after researching the author some, that may be giving her too much credit.
– choster
6 hours ago
1
1
Just on the off-chance, I checked out Google Books for as quick as ninepence. As expected, there were a handful of results, but they're dwarfed by thousands of hits for the "correct" version as right as ninepence. Would I call that a "blend"? No - I'd say it's never a "deliberate" usage. It's just a mistake.
– FumbleFingers
6 hours ago
Just on the off-chance, I checked out Google Books for as quick as ninepence. As expected, there were a handful of results, but they're dwarfed by thousands of hits for the "correct" version as right as ninepence. Would I call that a "blend"? No - I'd say it's never a "deliberate" usage. It's just a mistake.
– FumbleFingers
6 hours ago
@choster: It's usually as smart as a whip (but quick isn't totally unknown).
– FumbleFingers
6 hours ago
@choster: It's usually as smart as a whip (but quick isn't totally unknown).
– FumbleFingers
6 hours ago
...I even found one instance of as ripe as ninepence. But glancing at the surrounding text, I'd be quite prepared to believe that one was a deliberately facetious "mangling".
– FumbleFingers
5 hours ago
...I even found one instance of as ripe as ninepence. But glancing at the surrounding text, I'd be quite prepared to believe that one was a deliberately facetious "mangling".
– FumbleFingers
5 hours ago
1
1
"Quick as silk" also found at.... wintertangerine.com/wang-wu-daozi-dreaming ...... Not that that makes it a recognized idiom,...just sayin'.
– Lorel C.
4 hours ago
"Quick as silk" also found at.... wintertangerine.com/wang-wu-daozi-dreaming ...... Not that that makes it a recognized idiom,...just sayin'.
– Lorel C.
4 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
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