A.W.A.D. - Terms Making Use of Fabric Metaphorically

with Anu Garg

Clothing -- one of the three necessities in life. No wonder words about clothing and fabrics are woven into our language. There are numerous idioms: people are advised not to wash their dirty linen in public, even adults like to have their security blankets, though emperors often don't have clothes. The word silken can be used to describe food and voice and touch; from woolgathering to cottonpickin', the list of idiomatic use of fabric words is a long one.

This week we'll look at five terms that make use of fabrics metaphorically.

tweedy
PRONUNCIATION: (TWEE-dee)
MEANING: adjective:

1. Academic or scholarly

2. Informal; casual; outdoorsy

3. Made of or resembling tweed

ETYMOLOGY: After tweed, a coarse woolen fabric made in twill weave, preferred in casual wear, for example those in academia or in the country. The origin of the word tweed is not certain. It's probably an alteration of Scots tweel, influenced by the river Tweed that flows along the border between England and Scotland.

USAGE: "Ramrod-tall, blue-eyed and aquiline, with a high forehead swept clear of thin, fair hair, [William Hurt] even looked clever, like a tweedy young professor of letters on secondment to Hollywood." Jasper Rees; William Hurt is Back on Top of His Game; The Sunday Times (London, UK); May 3, 2009.

flannel
PRONUNCIATION: (FLAN-l)
MEANING: noun: Nonsense; evasive talk; flattery

ETYMOLOGY: Besides the fabric, the word flannel can refer to a washcloth, an undergarment, or trousers, but here we are interested in its metaphorical sense which apparently developed from the soft and smooth texture of the fabric. The origin of the word flannel remains fuzzy. Two possible derivations have been suggested: from Welsh gwlanen (woolen article) or from Old French flaine (a kind of coarse wool, blanket).

USAGE: "Commissioned by the Blair economic team, the report is just what the doctor ordered. No flannel. No spin." Peter Koenig; Honeymoon With the Economy is Over For Blair; The Independent (London, UK); Nov 16, 1997.

woolly
PRONUNCIATION: (WOOL-ee)
MEANING: adjective:

1. Fuzzy; unclear; confused; vague; disorganized; rough

2. Of or relating to wool

ETYMOLOGY: From Old English wull

USAGE: "Edward Scicluna: This woolly and opaque way of reporting and forecasting must stop."

Charlot Zahra; Is Restarting the Excessive Deficit Procedure Justified? Business Today (Malta); May 13, 2009.

plushy
PRONUNCIATION: (PLUSH-ee)
MEANING: adjective:

1. Characterized by luxury, extravagance, or ease

2. Or or related to plush: soft and shaggy

ETYMOLOGY: From plush, a fabric of silk, rayon, cotton, or wool, having a long pile. From French pluche, a variant of peluche, from Latin pilus (hair)

USAGE: "The warm, dark glow and plushy tone so typical of Central European orchestras from the late 19th century on seems steeped in the Staatskapelle's bones." Wynne Delacoma; Staatskapelle Berlin at Symphony Center; Chicago Sun-Times; Dec 12, 2000.

"But since Hugo left university in June, he has not strolled into the sort of plushy job that supposedly awaits our hordes of upper-second graduates when they roar onto the job market." Rachel Johnson; Graduates Get Jobs -- But No Pay; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Dec 5, 2003.