Literary notes about Permissible (AI summary)
The word "permissible" is employed in literature to articulate boundaries—whether moral, aesthetic, social, or technical—across a strikingly diverse set of contexts. In classic narratives, authors like Chekhov [1] and Dostoyevsky [2, 3] use the term to draw distinctions about what is allowed in matters of personal conduct or societal behavior, while thinkers such as Freud [4] and Hans Gross [5, 6, 7, 8] illustrate its use in framing the limits of scientific or legal discourse. Its application extends into the realms of etiquette and style as well, with Emily Post [9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14] prescribing what is acceptable in social interactions and written invitations, and even into technical discussions found in texts on grammar and culinary practices [15, 16, 17, 18, 19]. This multifaceted use underscores how "permissible" functions as a critical marker for setting norms and expectations across various fields of human endeavor.
- The Duchess Josiana loved Gwinplin, and that was permissible for her because she was a grand duchess.
— from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov - Perhaps it was just because of the strength of his desires that he had thought himself a man to whom more was permissible than to others.
— from Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - And would such a dream ever be permissible to him, Razumihin?
— from Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - Now I know you will say that these conceptions are as crude as they are fantastic, and not at all permissible in a scientific discussion.
— from A General Introduction to Psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud - It knows that stealing is forbidden, but considers it permissible to “rag” the neighbors’ fruit.
— from Criminal Psychology: A Manual for Judges, Practitioners, and Students by Hans Gross - The natural consequences are that it does not discover the limits between what is permissible, and what is not permissible.
— from Criminal Psychology: A Manual for Judges, Practitioners, and Students by Hans Gross - [336] Nor is it permissible to lie by gestures and actions any more than by words.
— from Criminal Psychology: A Manual for Judges, Practitioners, and Students by Hans Gross - The natural consequences are that it does not discover the limits between what is permissible, and what is not permissible.
— from Criminal Psychology: A Manual for Judges, Practitioners, and Students by Hans Gross - Capitals R.S.V.P. are permissible; but fastidious people prefer "R.s.v.p."
— from Etiquette by Emily Post - Asking for an Invitation to a Ball It is always permissible to ask a hostess if you may "bring" a dancing man who is a stranger to her.
— from Etiquette by Emily Post - The only lace permissible is a plain or hemstitched net known as "footing."
— from Etiquette by Emily Post - No variation is permissible in the form of a wedding invitation.
— from Etiquette by Emily Post - Other Forms Of Introduction Other permissible forms of introduction are: "Mrs. Jones, do you know Mrs. Norman?"
— from Etiquette by Emily Post - Waistcoat buttons, studs and cuff links, worn in sets, is an American custom that is permissible.
— from Etiquette by Emily Post - V. both readings, uncia or nucia are permissible, and make very little difference.
— from Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome by Apicius - It is permissible to make an emphatic word or expression serve the purpose of a sentence and to punctuate it accordingly:
— from The Elements of Style by William Strunk - If the clauses are very short, and are alike in form, a comma is usually permissible: Man proposes, God disposes.
— from The Elements of Style by William Strunk - Not permissible.
— from The Elements of Style by William Strunk - [4] List., G.-V. here add hard boiled eggs, which is permissible, gastronomically.
— from Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome by Apicius
