Literary notes about Dig (AI summary)
The word “dig” in literature is used in a remarkably flexible way, functioning both as a literal description of manual labor and a metaphor for deeper discovery. Sometimes characters physically dig, whether to unearth treasure or excavate a grave, as seen when someone resumes their spade work in [1] or is ordered to dig a canal in [2]. In other instances, the act of digging extends beyond sheer physicality—symbolizing the arduous, sometimes painful process of uncovering hidden truths or confronting life’s challenges, much like the metaphorical journey through adversity in [3]. Its usage also spans from straightforward labor, as in [4] and [5], to lively dialogue and even playful banter found in [6] and [7]. The breadth of these usages underscores “dig” as a multifaceted term, richly contributing to both the narrative’s literal action and its deeper, symbolic explorations.
- And then he moved farther on, and began again to dig.
— from The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - “Dig a canal straight from the source to the mouth of the river, passing through Manila; that is, make a new river-channel and fill up the old Pasig.
— from The Reign of Greed by José Rizal - However the idea was evoluted, just consider the glamour it throws over thorns and thistles, as we dig through life's long day of toil.
— from Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll - Man must consume bread and meat or he cannot dig; the bread and meat are the fuel which drive the spade.
— from Erewhon; Or, Over the Range by Samuel Butler - On this isthmus are mines, in which the emeralds and other precious stones are found by the Arabians, who dig deep subterraneous passages.
— from The Geography of Strabo, Volume 3 (of 3) by Strabo - “All right, we’ll change the subject; I guess you were about to give me another dig, anyway, so I’m willing to change.
— from The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson by Mark Twain - Pity but somebody’d take that poor old lunatic and dig all that poetry rubbage out of him.
— from The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain
