Literary notes about SEAMY (AI summary)
In literature, “seamy” is often used to evoke the hidden, unsavory underside of people, places, and institutions. Its use ranges from the depiction of disreputable characters—whose rough, morally dubious qualities are hinted at by phrases like “seamy side” [1, 2]—to the portrayal of landscapes and social milieus that appear superficially appealing but conceal decay or corruption, as when a rugged mountain is described with its “scarred and seamy face” [3]. Authors also apply the term metaphorically to denote the bitter realities and failures inherent in life, with characters remarking on having seen “the seamy side of life” [4, 5]. This evocative descriptor thus serves as a tool to highlight not only physical blemishes but also the deeper, often unspoken flaws of human nature and society.
- Oh fie vpon them: some such Squire he was That turn'd your wit, the seamy-side without, And made you to suspect me with the Moore Iago.
— from Othello by William Shakespeare - Some such squire he was That turn'd your wit the seamy side without, And made you to suspect me with the Moor.
— from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare - The mountain ranges were bathed in sunshine and the scarred and seamy face of stern old Errigal seemed almost to smile.
— from Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland by Joseph Tatlow - You forget that I am not a baby—that I have knocked about a good deal and seen the seamy side of life.
— from A Life Sentence: A Novel by Adeline Sergeant - The seamy side of life has been laid bare to me.
— from The Jericho Road by W. Bion Adkins
