Pithy, evocative imagery in three-legged microcosms of meaning. Having coined the term ‘triologism’ I believe this to be the only collection of these tum-tee-tum phrases in the universe. Updated Tuesdays … triologism day!
Red-legged falcons
Assuming this to be the red-footed falcon (falco vespertinus), I found this photo. Leigh Fermor spots them around the remains...
Glaucous-green field
I found myself wondering just what shade of green is glaucous, and learning that it is either 'a dull greyish-green...
Water-polished shells
Lopez uses this to describe the bright whiteness of snow geese in flight.
‘Once airborne, they are dazzling on the...
Grape-blue landscape
A darkly overcast day with louring purple-stained clouds, and a storm brewing, until you read the context in which Lee...
Sunset-lit Acropolis
If you have stood on the Acropolis in the gentle blue-pink of evening and soaked your eyes in its softening...
Dragon-green Byzantium
This magnificent walk across Europe in the early 1930s, a Europe which would be ripped apart by war in under...
Previously-unsoiled lintel
A horribly vengeful way to clean an allegedly soiled lintel, from Kazantzakis' lively version of Christ's life.
'Herod ... had...
Swift-advancing shame
Poor Hetty, her finery-flouncing superficiality has brought catastrophe upon her. The shame so swiftly advancing isn't born of conscience, but...
Battle-haunted fens
Having spent many teenage summer holidays in the fens of England, this struck me, though I never heard or saw...
Hate-honed swords and other battle gear
Everything a battle-scarred Swede could need: fine-forged mesh to protect him from other people's hate-honed swords, and a great-shafted spear...
Three-tailed bashaw
In this story, the stepmother isn’t wicked, she’s just stupid and pretentious. And calculating. She has a daughter and a...
Apple-cheeked children
It's an obvious one, but still a charming picture of innocence and health, apple-cheeked.
'I'm sure I never saw a...
Dark and sparkling
Wu means ‘black’ or ‘dark’ and, not surprisingly, also refers to a crow, as well as being a surname. Combined...
Rainbow-like belt
Surely, I could bestow such a belt on a character in a story? And those 'brilliant-colored points or cones', garlanding...
Quill-like face
Trying to picture this face resembling a quill, particularly as it describes the kindly, emotionally intelligent, acerbic doctor enjoying a...
Cast-iron sun
A surprising image, as if the sun itself were cast in Vulcan's smithy, a great sizzling shield of liquified iron.
...© Beatrice Otto 2019 - design & content unless otherwise stated - all rights reserved