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Literary notes about bilge (AI summary)

In literature, the word "bilge" has been used to invoke a sense of filth, decay, and moral degradation, drawing from its literal association with the lowest, often disreputable part of a ship. For instance, in one passage from Treasure Island, it is used metaphorically to denote a final, irrevocable state, as seen when a character is described as "dead as bilge" ([1]). In another instance, the term carries a connotation of trickery or deceit, suggesting that certain actions or behaviors are as worthless and contemptible as the murky water found in a ship's bilge ([2]). Together, these examples highlight how the word is employed to both vividly paint a grim physical picture and to suggest moral or existential decay.
  1. Well, he's dead now, he is—as dead as bilge; and who's to sail this ship, I don't see.
    — from Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
  2. Don't you get sucking of that bilge, John.
    — from Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

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